GMSA gives SAPS extra drive

The course, designed and administered by the Driving Dynamics organisation, has been tailored around the need to enhance the driving skills of operational members of the SAPS.

This intense training programme comes ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup and has specifically targeted members of the Flying Squad, Police Dog Unit, Crime Combating Unit, and the elite Special Task Force.

GMSA provided seven vehicles for the programme with the passenger vehicles being drawn from the Chevrolet range including the Aveo and the all new Cruze.

An Isuzu Double Cab is also used to provide training in the handling of a light commercial vehicle, typical of the type used by the SAPS.

All the training vehicles have already completed more than 10 000km each, under the most arduous of driving conditions.

A GMSA spokesman said the intensity of the course and the large number of participants required all seven vehicles to be driven eight hours a day, six days a week over the past 12 months on the skid pan and other training courses at Gerotek.

“Each vehicle will have been driven with the harsh braking, cornering and acceleration that are typical of the advanced driving routines, which means that five years of normal operating life have been put on the vehicles in just 12 months,” he said.

He said despite this extreme usage, not one mechanical problem was experienced on any of the vehicles. All of the vehicles came straight off the showroom without any additional preparation or any intensified maintenance regime.