September 7, 2021 - Heels & Horsepower Magazine

Top amateur riders hit the track to BMW Motorrad SA’s GS Trophy 2022 Qualifier in Amersfoort

vuyi on September 7, 2021

On 9 September 2021, top amateur GS riders will head to Amersfoort in Mpumalanga to battle for a chance to represent Team South Africa in the International GS Trophy to be hosted in Albania in 2022.

There is little doubt that South Africa is home to some of the best off-road riders in the world, as evidenced by victory in three successive International GS Trophies – 2020, 2018 and 2016 – and two second place finishes.

Thirty-one riders will from September 9 to 12 encamp to the sprawling 600-hectare Country TRAX Enduro Park, outside Amersfoort. There, on a mix of sand tracks, water passages, rocky terrain and gravel tracks, the riders will be put through their paces in a range of challenges to test their riding prowess, fitness, navigation and technical expertise.

Image: Penny Sterley, Head of BMW Motorrad South Africa

Country TRAX is an official training partner of BMW Motorrad South Africa and will facilitate the GS Trophy 2022 Qualifier South Africa. The Country TRAX team has been core to the International GS Trophy contest since 2010, and its experience is a boon for the seven women and 24 men who have successfully progressed through the eight regional qualifiers hosted this year.

South Africa has built a reputation as the team to beat.

– Penny Sterley, Head of BMW Motorrad South Africa

Competitors will compete in various exercises designed in collaboration with the International GS Trophy organisers to challenge the riders in a safe and fair environment. After the first day of exercises, up to 20 riders will progress to Saturday’s testing rounds.

The final scores will be announced at the finale on Saturday evening where the three men and two women to represent Team South Africa and the #SpiritofGS in Albania in 2022 will be declared.

Penny Sterley, Head of BMW Motorrad South Africa, says: “The GS Trophy is traditionally a highlight on our GS owners’ calendars. Despite the challenges presented by a global pandemic, this year’s GS Trophy will nevertheless have all the elements to Make Life a Ride!

“I wish all participants in the GS Trophy 2022 Qualifier South Africa the very best of luck. South Africa has built a reputation as the team to beat, and we are determined to make history with an unprecedented fourth successive win in Albania next year,” Sterley concluded.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the course will be devoid of supporters and the event will be hosted in a sealed environment where all marshals, instructors, suppliers, staff and participants will be party to safety protocols in line with the current national regulations.

WATCH: Safety features on the Mercedes‑Benz Tourismo, a bus we’d like to see on South African Roads

vuyi on September 7, 2021

For years, Mercedes-Benz has been producing buses and coaches with increasingly varied and effective assistance systems, thus providing the best possible protection for all passengers and other road users.

Active safety to prevent accidents takes centre stage in the three-pointed star busses and coaches and these include:

the Anti-lock Braking System in 1981
the Electropneumatic Braking System in 1997
the Adaptive Cruise Control
the Electronic Stability Programme
the Lane Assist
the Continuous Braking Limiter
the Active Brake Assist

The Mercedes‑Benz Tourismo represents continuous safety innovation. Within an already generous safety specification, key highlights include Active Brake Assist 4 (ABA 4) with pedestrian detection, standard fitment as of 2021, and optional Sideguard Assist turning warning system.

Airbags and Children: Here’s what you ‘auto’ know

vuyi on September 7, 2021

An air bag can save your life. However, air bags and young children are a dangerous combination.

When used with seat belts, airbags work well to protect teenagers and adults; however, airbags can be very dangerous to children, particularly to those riding in rear-facing seats and to preschoolers and young school-aged children who are not properly restrained.

Front airbags are installed in all new cars.

If your vehicle has a front passenger airbag, infants in rear-facing seats must ride in the back seat. Even in a relatively low-speed crash, the airbag can inflate, strike the car seat, and cause serious brain injury and death.

Vehicles with no back seat or a back seat that is not made for passengers are not the best choice for traveling with small children; however, the airbag can be turned off in some of these vehicles if the front seat is needed for a child passenger. See your vehicle owner’s manual for more information.

Side airbags are available in most new cars.

Side airbags improve safety for adults in side-impact crashes. Read your vehicle owner’s manual for more information about the airbags in your vehicle. Read your car seat instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual for guidance on placing the seat next to a side airbag.

The following information will help keep you and your children safe:

The safest place for all infants and children younger than 13 years to ride is in the back seat.
All children should be properly secured in car seats, belt-positioning booster seats, or the seat belts correct for their size.
- All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer.
- All children who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their car seat, should use a forward-facing car seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer.
- All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car seat should use a belt-positioning booster until the seat belts fit properly, typically when they have reached 1.5meters in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age.