Safety On The Road: It’s More Than The Model
There are plenty of articles like this scattered across the internet that talk about the type of car that is perfectly safe for a family.
They talk about the safest cars that have been made this year and the years before it, and point out all the safety features that are available. The thing is, it doesn’t matter what type of car you get – the safety will forever be in the hands of the person controlling the car at the wheel.
Road safety is mostly about human error. If you treat other vehicles and other drivers with little respect, and act selfishly on the road, you will be the cause of a fatality and that just won’t do. The way you hold yourself and stay alert will make the difference on the road and you have to understand how your actions affect your driving.
We’ve put together a short guide on how your behaviour on the road affects those around you and how you can avoid putting yourself in dangerous situations. It may feel like this has been done before, but as the accident rates on the road are still alarmingly high, it’s important to touch on it again.
- Drinking. There is a social expectancy for those who want to have a good time with friends and that is that they are expected to drink to have fun. When you drive to the nearest town for a night out instead of taking public transport, you put yourself in a precarious position. It’s better to leave the car at home and arrange for a bus ticket or train ticket instead if you plan to drink, otherwise you would need the counsel of Parks & Braxton, who deal with DUI cases. Alternatively, you could choose to be the designated driver and not drink for the night!
- Smartphone. Almost every person – driver or not – owns a smartphone. While these gadgets are useful in so many ways, there are more and more cases of texting while driving or using the phone while driving. Articles like this, which show young people using social media while on the road and diverting their attention from safe driving techniques and displaying unsafe behaviours are the problem. Use a hands-free device if you need to take calls, but ideally you should leave the phone in the glove compartment of the car.
- Emotions. Everyone has a broad spectrum of emotion and its these that dictate our reaction. However, if you are in a situation of severe stress or anger, including road rage, the safest thing for you to do is pull over and stay still and safe until you have control of your feelings. You need to be able to drive with a clear, alert mind and you cannot do that if you are trying to process upsetting situations.
Your behaviour on the road will very much change the course of your journey, so it’s important to ensure you are a calm, alert and sober driver at all times and at all costs.
