So you just passed your driving test and received your driver’s license, an event which raises one of the biggest question! How and what car to buy? There are several factors to consider when selecting your first car: safety, reliability, fuel economy, design, maneuverability and handling, comfort; and ideally at a price that won’t hurt your pocket.
How much money could you spend?
This is definitely the most prominent thing to consider if you’re one of the practical Pinoys. More likely than not, if you look to buy a brand new car, you’ll end up with a car loan. Hence be sure that you are earning enough to pay not only for the car loan with initial down and monthly payments, but also for maintenance and all necessary expenses.
Consider the following as part of your car budget plan before you buy a car: car insurance, LTO registration, parking fees, fuel cost, general repairs and maintenance cost for tires, oil, fluid, car wash, etc.
What’s your car’s purpose?
Consider where you will be driving. A small and compact car will make it easier for you to maneuver and park in a city. In rural areas, you might want to consider a more a bigger and more powerful car able to drive up and down hills, and tougher terrains.
It’s also good to consider what will you actually use the car for. If you’re a cyclist then you would want a car that’s capable of transporting your bicycle. Will you use it to carry valuable stuff, then you would want a car with an alarm system with a place to hide valuables, e.g. a sedan with a boot.
Manual vs. automatic
If you learned to drive and took your test in an automatic car, your license will have a restriction number 4 or 5 and you will not be allowed to drive a manual car. While restrictions 2 and 3 will allow you to drive both manual and automatic transmission cars.
Driving a manual or an automatic car has its pros and cons. Driving an automatic car is a lot easier, especially in heavy traffic situations, because you won’t have to change gears and use clutch control. On the other hand, driving a manual car gives you more control as you are able to choose your gear. In older vehicles, manual gearboxes tend to consume less fuel compared to an automatic car with the same sized engine.
Safety
New drivers are more likely to get involved in an accident, so don’t scrimp on the car’s safety features. Consider the safety features of the car before you buy and look for their NCAP crash test rating.
Test drive
You have to test drive a car for at least half an hour to get a decent idea if you really like it or not. This will allow you to get the feel of the car; check if the features are working properly, too.
Here are some car options to look at
Small cars
You’ll get the best fuel economy and best practical driving experience in the city using a small car. Albeit if you and your friend love playing basketball, you may see it difficult to give them a hitch in comfort.
Good options for you to consider are: Toyota Wigo, Mitsubishi Mirage, Hyundai Eon, Suzuki Alto, Suzuki Celerio, Honda Brio or Kia Picanto. All these cars are all well-priced, reasonably reliable, and ideal for city driving.
Sedans
Sedans are also easy to drive on city roads and are also fairly reliable at rural roads. Sedans are also more roomy compared to a small car.
There are plenty of options for sedans. Toyota Corolla, Toyota Altis, Honda Civic, Honda City, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra, and Mitsubishi Lancer are some of the most popular and reliable sedans in the market today.
Driving in the Philippines could be adventurous and challenging at the same time. This is a fact that every Filipino driver knows and has experienced. If you are a driver who’s still figuring out how to navigate your way through the busy streets of Metro Manila, especially in Makati and Marikina areas where one-way routes are designed like a maze, then here are tips to help you sharpen your navigation skills.
Use landmarks
This is probably the most common tricks and there’s a reason why it is the most common: it is very effective! Before you make turns look for a landmarks such as banks, shops, restaurants, buildings, a statue, etc. It is easier to go to and from your destination if you keep an eye out for certain landmarks.
Let the sun be your guide
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. If you have any idea what time it is you can measure and judge your direction from the sun’s position. This trick is most effective about an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset as it’s easiest to gauge the sun’s position.
Consult Google maps
Whether you are navigating through city or country areas Google has it all mapped out for you. Thanks to its interactive maps and satellite images navigation is made easier. You’ll really never get lost as you go to new places and old favorites using this useful tool! (Google Maps)
Google Maps app has voice-guided navigation so that you can stay focused on the road especially when you are driving by yourself so don’t forget to download the app on your smartphone or tablet, too.
GPS navigation
A GPS (Global Positioning System) can display the user’s position on the unit’s electronic map along with several possible routes.
Bear in mind that a car’s satellite navigation will have the maps preloaded but smartphones downloads the map using data plan. Be sure you have data plan or a pocket wifi if you want to use it using a smartphone, or else it won’t work. This is a disadvantage with fixed systems because the maps can become out-of-date quickly in newly developing areas.
Don’t hesitate to ask
Ask for directions as long as it is safe to pull over and do so. If you’re unsure where to go in a certain area, ask people in that area, especially PUV (public utility vehicle) drivers, e.g. tricycle drivers or jeepney drivers, as these people are very well versed with all sorts of routes in their mind.
Lookout for direction-giving road signs and road markers
If you’ve driven places here you’ve definitely encountered these type of signs. The NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) and SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) has many of these signs to guide you to your intended exit point. Other road signs tell you the direction and remaining distance to a certain place. E.g. “Sta Rita Exit 10 km ahead”.
Improve your route knowledge
Deliberately divert to your usual route when going to a familiar place. This will expand your knowledge about the area and your brain will eventually develop a mental map of the area. One advantage of this is that incase there is a roadblock caused by road maintenance or an accident, you can detour from your usual route with confidence when going to your destination.
Stay calm
Everybody gets lost from time-to-time — it’s normal, so relax and don’t panic. If you’ve been using the techniques above then you’ll most likely be able to backtrack, or you can always stop and ask someone. You now have potent strategies to use to get to your destination!
So, you’ve got your driver’s license and you’ve got yourself a car. The thing is you’re a new driver who probably hasn’t experienced maintaining a car. Fret not because here are basic car maintenance tips that you should to help you out.
Browse your owner’s manual
Check your owner’s manual (usually in the glove box) and look for advice regarding maintenance specifically for your car. If you can’t find it in the glove box, look for it online.
A lit oil warning light
A lit oil light means you’re almost out of oil, you’ve got an oil filter blocked or strainer in the sump, or the oil pump has died. This mean your engine won’t be receiving lubrication and it will be running metal against metal.
You should stop right away, unless it’s unsafe to do so, when you see the oil light come on. Don’t try to drive home or to a mechanic’s repair shop, stop as soon as you can. Your car is at risk of the engine seizing which would cause further damage that is more expensive to fix.
An oil change usually is required at certain mileage intervals – you’ll have to change oil after you reach a specific mileage. However, if you have get a leak or any problem with the oil system, or you take a long time to reach the prescribed mileage you may need to top it up or change it earlier. Make it a habit to inspect your engine oil every 4-8 weeks using the oil dipstick that’s easy to locate in the engine bay. It usually has a yellow cap with an oil can picture on it. The oil level must be within the minimum and maximum levels allowed. You can check it by pulling the dipstick out, wipe the tip with a cloth, dip it back in and pull it out to inspect. If you noticed that the oil level is already below the minimum, then it’s time to add more oil. Don’t over-fill the oil reservoir. If you add too much, you will need to drain some by pulling out the drain plug – only do this if you know what you are doing.
Don’t exhaust your fuel
If your fuel ran out the fuel pump will have pulled the sludgy petrol from the bottom of the tank through the system, and then you’ll have to replace your fuel filter early. It’s good to fuel up before you get underneath ⅛ of a tank. Go and fill-up as soon as the fuel light comes on. Another reason why it’s good to keep your fuel tank topped up is to avoid wasting precious time filling up your tank when you need to drive right away because of an emergency situation.
Coolant warning indicator
The radiator is the heart of your car’s cooling system, which directs coolant around your engine’s cylinders and valves to convect heat, then flow it back to the radiator to dissipate it safely. Don’t wait for the light to come on before you check your coolant level, instead make it a point to check it regularly and add to it when necessary.
Stop immediately if you see the coolant light on, but don’t open the radiator cap right away as the water with coolant, due to heat pressure, would come bursting out to you. Let it cool down first before adding fluid into it, and only use tap water as a last resort because it would leave mineral deposits that are bad for the cooling system.
Handbrake light
A lit handbrake light indicates that your handbrake is still on. Be sure to release your handbrake before you pull away as it would burn the brake shoes if you don’t.
Tire Pressure
If unsure about your tires’ pressures, then refer to the owner’s manual for the recommended pressure. Don’t over-inflate your tires because this will give you less road grip as it would reduce the amount of tire rubber in contact with the road. On the other hand, under-inflated tires cause extra rolling resistance because they deform more, and this causes heat buildup which could be a reason for a delamination where the tyre’s layers separate, or a blowout. Under-inflated tires will also cost you a bit more fuel consumption. Oh, and make sure you inflate your spare tire with the correct pressure, too.
Tire rotation
You can rotate your tires every 10,000km to keep your tire wear even. This means swapping your tires either side-to-side, front-to-back, or diagonally. If your tires are uni-directional, you can swap the front right to the rear right and vice versa. Don’t do a side-to-side swap or your tires will be rotating in wrong direction that the tread pattern isn’t designed to, and it will be ineffective at dispersing water in the wet.
Blown or flat tire
If you have a flat tire, see if the tire isn’t completely deflated, and if that’s the case you may be able to drive to the nearest vulcanizing shop to have it repaired. If it is completely deflated or it has blown out, pull over and replace it right away with your spare tire (you should always have one in the car). Driving with a blown or completely deflated tire will damage your tire rim which will be more costly.
Windshield fluid
It’s important to keep it topped up as this will help you clean your windshield; a dirty windshield could restrict your vision, especially when driving towards the setting or rising sun, and therefore impair your driving.
Blown headlight bulb
It’s fine to touch the metal area with your bare hands, but be careful that you do not touch the glass area using your bare hands (use gloves or a clean cloth) as oil transferred from your hands and fingers to the bulb’s surface will heat up and cause it to crack.
You can usually access the headlights from within the engine bay, although you may need a screwdriver to undo the housing.
Squealing sound
If there’s a squealing sound whenever you start the engine and drive off which stops after a few meters, it could be caused by the slipping of your fan belt, so replace it as soon as you can. Your engine will lose lots of its cooling capability at low speed if the fan belt breaks.
Visit your local mechanic
Some things are better done by the experts themselves. Visit your trusted mechanic and get your car serviced. Usually it needs to be serviced within 5,000-15,000km, or every 6-12 months (depending on how often you use it).
Keep a list
Keep a list to remind you of your car’s periodic maintenance schedule. Although in general, 4-8 weeks is fine when inspecting your tire pressure and tread depth, radiator fluid, windshield fluid, and oil level.
Doing affirmations is the process of repeating a phrase to yourself over and over again in order to change the way you think or feel. They’re used by a wide variety of people, from salespeople that need to quickly psyche themselves up to make a series of calls through to elite athletes standing at the starting blocks of the 100m World Championships. You can use affirmations to help improve your memory when studying for the LTO driving test, to help increase your coordination and perception when driving, and to reduce nervousness and increase confidence while taking your test.
The best thing about affirmations is that they are free and you can do them in your own time.
How do affirmations work
Affirmations work by displacing one belief in your subconscious mind and replacing it with another so that your subconscious influences your conscious life.
It’s quite simple: almost everything you do comes from your subconscious. When you read these words you don’t consciously have to move your eyes across the screen – your eyes do it automatically, subconsciously. When your brain forms the words into meaning, it does it subconsciously. Of course, you can choose to do something consciously – for example make a conscious decision about what to eat for dinner, but your subconscious told you that you were hungry and your subconscious mind is the one imagining what you can eat.
How will this work with a practical or theory driving exam?
Many people suffer from nerves when they are under pressure. When you are taking your driving test you have pressure because you will have spent a lot of time and money getting to that point. You don’t want to fail because then there will be social stigma that you failed. This makes some people nervous or anxious, but those are responses that can be tamed by improving confidence and calmness. What influence confidence, calmness, nervousness and anxiety? It’s your subconscious mind.
Fortunately your subconscious mind can be influenced quite easily, and this is how brainwashing works in religious cults. In this case, though, you are going to brainwash yourself into believing you are more confident and calm, and that will make it easier for you to pass your driving test.
A phrase I hear many people say, particularly when they are trying to remember someone’s name is “I’m great with faces, but useless at remembering names.” If you tell yourself this over and over again, then your subconscious believes it and it becomes harder and harder to remember names. If you go so far as to say (generally) that you have a bad memory, then it will affect everything you do.
Again, it’s easy to turn around: simple affirmations can help improve your memory. So let’s find out how it’s done.
What is an affirmation?
An affirmation is a short positive statement about what you want to happen said in the present tense as if it has already happened.
For example, these two are good affirmations:
I have an excellent memory
I am great at listening to and acting on instructions.
These two are bad examples:
I am not forgetful
I will have a great memory
I want to be confident and calm under pressure.
The good examples work because they speak as if the result has already happened, and there is no negative statement. The bad examples don’t work because your subconscious mind doesn’t understand negatives or time-frames, and if you affirm that you want to be something then you will forever be in a state of wanting, not achieving.
When you first start doing affirmations you will be aware that technically you are lying to yourself. This is not important, though. Your subconscious mind doesn’t understand the concept of a lie – that’s something your conscious mind does. Therefore you can continue knowing that it will work over time even though you haven’t achieved it yet.
What makes an affirmation fail?
There are a few things that will make an affirmation fail:
If you have a really strongly held belief that is contrary to an affirmation, it won’t work. You will need to work on the other belief, too. For example, let’s say that you want to be rich and you use the affirmation ‘I am rich’ (note: we don’t recommend using this affirmation because it’s too vague, but for the purposes of example, it works well). You want to be rich but you don’t believe you deserve it because your family always told you you’re lazy and riches only come to those who work hard. This will sabotage your affirmation and you would need to work with affirmations such as “I deserve to be rich” and “I work smart to become rich”. They are more specific.
The second way an affirmation will fail is if the people around you don’t support you. Let’s say, for example, you are studying the LTO road and traffic rules and you want to remember it and understand it better. You could affirm “I have an excellent memory and I understand the road rules well.” This is a good specific affirmation. However, if you have people around you that constantly tell you that you are stupid, it’s going to be harder (but not impossible) for the affirmation to work.
The third way is if you don’t believe that it will work. There are perhaps millions of people who do affirmations on a daily, weekly or monthly basis who have found it has made a huge difference to their lives. You can either choose to ignore that, or not. But there’s no point in doing it if you don’t believe it will make any difference to you.
How many affirmations should you do?
While you are learning to drive you will have plenty of time to improve your affirmation skills in both the short term and long term. You can use affirmations to change your body’s state very quickly (but we’ll cover this in another article), and you can also use them to change your skills and feelings over a longer period of time for a more permanent result.
You won’t make a permanent change overnight, especially if you have a very deeply held belief. You should expect change to be gradual and take several weeks or months. In fact, you might not notice the change until you conscious try to look back at how you were several months ago. In the case of affirming for a better memory, you will find yourself remembering more and more things more clearly. In the case of improving your confidence it will be a gradual process; there is no quick fix.
You should create two or three affirmations using the guidelines above and run through them for 5-15 minutes per day. You can do them to music if you want. Many people do them while walking. You could even record yourself saying them and then play it, saying them back to yourself at the same time. The more you practice, the better you will be at affirmations. At first your brain will drift off, which is why it’s often good to do it to a piece of music you know, or while walking. Eventually you will be able to do them while waiting in line at the supermarket.
Good luck with using affirmations for helping with your practical and theory test. And remember, once you have your driver licence there’s no reason not to use affirmations to help improve all kinds of aspects of your life.
As the overall population gets older, there will be more older drivers on our roads. And driving patterns change as people get older. Variation from their usual activities after retirement is one of the biggest factors that affect their driving – retired drivers won’t be commuting to work by car.
With age comes a gradual degradation of sight, hearing, reaction time and cognitive function, plus an increase in the likelihood of certain health conditions and medications that could affect the way they drive.
Although older people drive safer than younger ones because they are more experienced and are less aggressive (click here to read more). Older people are more susceptible to injuries than younger ones, and so, they are often hurt more severely when involved in a crash.
Driving is a complex task
Driving is an intricate task. It demands attention on the road, other cars, road and traffic signs, and pedestrians; it requires people to hear and see clearly, and to react quickly to different traffic situations.
Common faults in driving
It’s normal for people to have deterioration in their physical abilities as they grow older. And although in general they are safer drivers (read full article here), this makes them more susceptible in certain situations such as changing lanes or making turns.
Here are common faults older drivers make:
failure to stay within speed limit
failure to stay in lane
failure to yield the right of way
failure to stop completely at a stop sign
failure in judgement when turning in traffic
Driving faults could result into crashes, injuries, and even death. The risk of road crashes increases with age. Studies reveal that older drivers are more likely to get involved in a crash, especially after the age of 75. (Read more here)
when they are merging with a faster vehicle (or when the other vehicle is in the blind spot)
at roundabouts
These common faults and susceptibility could be attributed to slower reflexes, vision impairment, and strained body part movements (click here to see more)
Safer drivers
It’s a good thing that fatal crash rates amongst older drivers 65 and over has decreased in recent years. Although the study doesn’t point out the factors that caused the decline, it is suggested that it’s probably due to safer cars and better health in general. (read more here)
Because they are more susceptible to serious injuries and death in a crash. But the good things is, with the advancement and progress of car and road safety schemes, they are now more like to survive a crash than in the past.
The number coding scheme which commonly mistaken as color coding scheme and is formally called as Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) is a system implemented by Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) with the goal to alleviate traffic in Metro Manila areas by reducing the number of vehicles on Metro Manila roads.
This scheme has prevented Filipino car owners from driving their cars at specific times and days, and has got many Filipino car owners’ eyebrows raised because it means they have to leave their car and use public transport. It’s essential to know for Metro Manila drivers.
The number coding scheme is effective from 7am to 7pm, and has window hours (the time frame when the number coding scheme is lifted off) from 10am to 3pm in most cities of Metro Manila.
The table below shows the last digits of plate numbers with the equivalent day when they are banned from driving through Metro Manila.
Weekday
Last digit of plate number
Monday
1 & 2
Tuesday
3 & 4
Wednesday
5 & 6
Thursday
7 & 8
Friday
9 & 0
There are cities and places in the Metro that have differences in the number coding scheme such as the following:
Pasig city window hours are from 9am to 4pm
Las Piñas and Makati don’t have window hours
Major roads with overlapping cities: EDSA, C5, Roxas Boulevard, and Diosdado Macapagal Avenue follow the 10am-3pm window hours no matter which city are you in.
Parañaque city has no window hours except on the following roads:
East Service Road from Dr. Santos Avenue up to FTI Parañaque
West Service Road from Dr. Santos Avenue up to Merville Park Subdivision
Barangay Moonwalk: E. Rodriguez Street
Barangay Don Bosco: Doña Soledad Avenue and Extension
Barangay Don Bosco: President Aguinaldo Street, Japan Street, San Antonio Street, Japan Street, Michael Rua Street, and France Street
Marikina and Muntinlupa city does not observe the number coding scheme
Taguig City does not observe the number coding scheme except on its national main roads on its borders, i.e. East Service Road, C5, and Manuel L. Quezon
Exempted roads in Pasay city are: MIA road, Domestic road, Ninoy Aquino Avenue, Airport road, Sales road, and some portions of Buendia.
Exemption to the rule
There are cases which would immune one from the number coding scheme such as the following:
Vehicles who carry a passenger who require immediate medical attention
Doctors and medical personnel could also apply for this exemption
In Makati, senior citizens who have BLU cards with granted exemption
Motorcycles are exempted to this scheme
Note:
All public utility buses are now under the number coding scheme.
Truck-ban conduct passes granted in accordance with MMDA regulation numbers 96-005 and 98-006-A; and MMDA regulation 10-001 shall not include the authority to use EDSA.
Expressways here in the Philippines: North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), being the two most prominent are the most convenient way of getting to the northern and southern parts of Luzon via car.
Many drivers, especially novice ones, worry about driving on an expressway. But actually expressways are safer than the usual roads, despite being faster because the opposing lanes are separated. Events unfold more quickly than the usual highways and that’s why the importance of safe driving on the expressway shouldn’t be overlooked.
Here are tips to help you drive safely on expressways
Have your vehicle checked
Make sure to check the condition of your vehicle before hitting the high-speed-highway. Inspect the status of the cooling water, engine oil, brakes, tires and a spare tire, and petrol to prevent vehicle breakdowns that could cause an accident or an unplanned stop-over.
If you plan to carry equipment like bicycles, surfboards, etc. make sure that they are properly strapped in place to prevent them from falling.
If you plan to use the expressway for a long car drive as many drivers do, then it’s wise to plan your stops and places to rest ahead before you go.
Keep looking ahead
Many drivers get involved in crashes because they fail to look ahead. Remember that expressways are faster than the usual roads and you would have covered a great distance in just a sneeze. Make sure your are aware of what’s happening on the road ahead especially when you’re looking to the mirrors or glancing quickly behind.
Accelerate fast
Be sure to signal your intentions before entering the expressway. Look for a gap in the traffic where you will merge and accelerate briskly upon entering to match your speed with theirs so you don’t become a hindrance to other vehicles and slow them down.
Keep a safe distance
Safe distance varies and depends upon the road and weather conditions. Keep enough distance between you and the vehicle you are trailing to allow you enough time to stop, especially abruptly. A good guideline is keeping two seconds between your vehicle and the car in front. This distance will then increase with the speed you are travelling, but will give you enough time to stop if the vehicle in front stops, and also provides a space for other vehicles to pull in front of you if they need to use your lane.
Increase your following distances in wet weather as it will take you longer to stop due to reduced friction on the road.
Be ready for toll fees
If you’re using the expressway, then you have to bring some cash with you to pay for the toll fees. You can see the toll fee rates in the Epass website, for SLEx; and Tollways Management Corporation website, for NLEx; and the Toll Regulatory Board website, for all the expressways in the country.
Blown tire
If your tire blew all of a sudden while driving on an expressway do not hit the brake immediately. It would be highly dangerous to do so as you’ll lose even more control over the vehicle. Expect the steering wheels to jerk to one side when a tire suddenly loses air. Grip the steering wheel as firm as you can and release the accelerator as fast as you can to gradually lose speed. Use te gears to slow down. Once you are down to 20km/h or less it will be safer to use the brakes without fear of spinning out. Aim to get to the road edge and park your car in a safe position. If there is a lot of traffic passing closely by, get out of the passenger side as it’s safer.
Have a rest
Driving could be a tiring task especially if it’s a long-drive. It’s a great idea to rest for 10 minutes every 2 hours, even when you don’t feel tired. This way you could stretch those cramped up legs and arms, and also check your vehicle’s load at the same time.
Upon your exit
Always pay attention to road exit signs in an expressway. Change lane at least 1km before your desired exit point and don’t forget to reduce your speed when approaching the exit. It will be hard to estimate your speed so don’t rely on your senses alone —check the speedometer instead.
