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Chiang Mai A common language called is a challenge. They traded seats and The nice highway to Phetchabun Ishii started driving on the hill, went on for a while. Puddles quickly cars concentrating all of his mind and body formed after it started raining, on driving. He thought he knew what however, and cars speeding by in the The 5 Continents Drive team left Kalyan meant. A car with an automatic passing lane kicked up sprays of Chang Mai and headed to the ancient transmission downshifts when you water as they passed. “ and city of , driving on the press the brakes on a steep incline. India have some of the highest mountain roads of When this happens the engine speed fatality rates from traffic accidents National Park. Although Yasuyuki Ishii increases, but does not produce the in the world. People have to wear of the Drivetrain-EHV Design Division deceleration that you’re expecting No. 3 says that his English is weak, he because of the steep incline. Instead, doesn’ t shy away from communication it feels like the car is accelerating. As with the local team members. Kalyan Ishii conveys this to Kalyan, he replies, from Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Pte “Yes, exactly!” and his face breaks Ltd. (TMAP), who was driving a Hilux, out into a big smile. They speak the tilted his head to the side. He tries to common language when it comes to describe an unsettling sensation about cars, and deepen their understanding the car’ s deceleration on a steep through their many conversations and incline, but finding the words to discussions. All to make ever better describe it even in his mother tongue cars. their seat belt to reduce the number are compact and inexpensive, and reach the day’ s final destination. Rama of fatal accidents,” says Hideki Okita, have no problem climbing mountain IV Road was a virtual parking lot at who works in crash safety testing at roads. What Daihatsu can do now is three o’clock. “I’ ve experienced the Advanced Vehicle Engineering build on the strengths of its India, so Thailand’ s traffic jams Development Division. The team saw compact cars. Compact cars would don’t seem bad,” says Hideyuki many people in Thailand and India who fit right in on the narrow streets and Tanaka of the Advanced Technical were not wearing seat belts. “The alleys of Bangkok,” Shimizu says, Skills Institute with a laugh. Tanaka airbags work properly only when pointing to the potential of compact has been behind the wheel on every you’re wearing a seat belt,” he adds. cars. continent since participating in the Many precious lives are lost because Australian stage of the 5 Continents people do not use a safety device that Picture that springs Drive Project. “Driving in India was a is available to them now and can save valuable experience. We had lead lives. An exasperated look crosses to mind cars in Africa and South America Okita’ s face. So what can be done to that went ahead of the team and change people’ s perception? “People The team went from Saraburi to made sure it was safe, but in India it change if they have something to Bangkok. There were a lot of trucks was just us. Looking back now protect, when they have a family. I on the road, and a morning traffic jam even, I think it was pretty harsh.” His hope they rethink their perception was forming even though it was still 5 Continents Drive experience of safety at that stage of their lives.” seven o’clock. The team stopped by appears to be having an influence on The team headed for the mountain the Talaad Thai Market, one of the his work today. “I’ ve been able to Phu Thap Boek (1,768 m) on the way largest wholesale produce markets in see a lot of different worlds. Of all to Saraburi. “Families and couples , to see how pickup these places, the picture that were up at the mountain enjoying trucks are used in Thailand. Then the springs to my mind is the steep themselves,” comments Takanori team had to drive across Bangkok to streets of San Francisco when we Shimizu, who was participating in the Drive Project from the Vehicle Performance Development Division of Daihatsu. “Even young couples riding a motorcycle together may eventually reach the point where they want to buy a car. When that time comes, I hope we can offer them a Daihatsu as an entry-level car. We have to develop cars that visited North America. Almost all who is no stranger to Thailand, made the residential neighborhoods were some new discoveries. “The test Laos located on these steep slopes, and course only reproduces a small 10.7 10.7 that’ s where people lived. I portion of the countries. The roads Lampang Phetchabun 10.8 specialize in brakes, so it really are different in each country. I was Thailand made a deep impression on me. able to drive in India, Myanmar, and Saraburi10.9 After seeing those hills, the thought Thailand—regions where Toyota 10.10-11 Bangkok Cambodia that we need brakes that people can employees are not able to drive in feel confident using always goes their regular work. This is a great through my mind.” The 5 Continents asset.” He would like all of the team Drive teams have seen a lot of members to take their experience different scenery. How many back to their workplaces, and with “pictures” of this scenery remain in strong convictions from having their minds? actually driven the roads, use it in The Drive team visited Toyota making cars. One month from now, the Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing Drive Project team will depart from Co., Ltd. (TDEM) and Toyota Motor George Town, Malaysia, and start the Thailand Co., Ltd. (TMT). At TDEM, the leg through Singapore, Indonesia, the team members involved in the Drive Philippines, and Vietnam. Project gave presentations on India, Myanmar, and Thailand, and at TMT, they were the guests at a warm welcome ceremony. Captain Yoshiharu Sahara commented, “I was stationed Distance: 1258k m in Thailand for about three and a Duration: October 7-11, 2019 half years, so I felt like I already Days: 5 days knew the country, but the Vehicles Fortuner,Hilux Double Cab, experience of actually taking the : wheel myself and driving was really Corolla Altis HV,Yaris Ativ, valuable.” It seems that even Sahara, C-HR,Alphard,Innova,Camry HV