Should Drivers Overtake At Night?

Driving at night generally is hazardous due to poor visibility. Drivers driving at night can overtake, but they should do so with extra care so as to avoid road traffic accident.
It is not easy as a driver driving at night to determine the speed at which the oncoming vehicle is travelling, this makes it difficult for the driver to take decision on whether to overtake or not.
However, the beam of light from the oncoming vehicle can help the driver determine the distance of the vehicle and judge if it is safe to overtake or not.
Overtaking at night is easier in areas with street lights. These street lights help to increase visibility and make overtaking easier. However, you must be thorough sure the road is clear and safe before overtaking.

Courtesy On The Road For Drivers Of Heavy Vehicles

Every driver is expected to show good manners when driving with other road users on the road. This will save them from all the shouting, fighting and accident that would have occurred as a result of bad manners on the road. Drivers of heavy vehicles can show good manners and be considerate while driving by following the tips below.

• Do not intimidate other road users or drivers on the road with the size of your vehicle by making them go off the road for safety.

• Give way to vehicles that are faster especially smaller vehicles. This will ensure free flow of traffic.

• Drive fairly and be considerate. Because accident has relatively little effect on your vehicle is not a yardstick to start misbehaving or driving recklessly without consideration to other road users.

• If there is a traffic builds up behind your vehicle, it is advisable to slow down and move to the right as much as possible.

Common Bad Driving Habits

Drivers of vehicle are required to be fully alert and concentrated when driving. However, there are habits which a driver may posses that can make him lose concentration which may lead to road traffic accident. The following are some of them.

• Looking backward by turning the head

• Romancing while driving

• Eating and drinking while driving

• Reading while driving

• Driving with one arm

• Discussing with passengers while driving and turning to look at them during discussion.

• Engaging the passengers of a vehicle in hot argument while driving

• Playing very loud music while driving

• Dancing while driving

• Changing cassettes or CD while driving

• Playing with pets, children or adults at the rear seats, etc.

Drivers with any of these habits should desist from them as they can lead to road accident. 

Effects Of Road Traffic Accidents

There are many effects of road traffic accidents. Understanding these effects will help to minimize road traffic accidents. Many drivers underestimate the power of accidents and these makes them drive carelessly and recklessly. Below are some of the effects of road traffic accident.

• Road traffic accident can lead to the loss of lives. And sometimes, those who die during road traffic accident may be the one who solely supports the family. And when this happens the family loses its pillar which can affect them negatively.

• Road traffic accident can cause damage to properties. This may involve vehicles involved in the accident or other properties by the road side hit by the vehicle. 

• Road traffic accident can lead to injuries on the body of the victims. Some of the injuries sustained during road traffic accident can be very severe which can render them incapacitated or may even lead to death.

• Another effect of road traffic accident is the grief and stress suffered by relatives and friends of the decease.

• Road traffic accident can cause one to become incapacitated. Some can be incapacitated for a short time, while others can be incapacitated for life. This can make the driver unable to contribute their quarter to growth of the economy.

• Road traffic accident can also lead to unplanned amount of money being spent on drug, surgery, etc. 

Possible Solutions To Road Traffic Accident

In my last post, I wrote on the causes of road traffic accident. Today I am writing on the possible solutions to road traffic accident. Below are some of the possible solutions to road traffic accident.

The driver of a vehicle in no small way can minimize or reduce road traffic accident on the road. This can be done by driving safely on the road. One way by which drivers can drive safely is by driving defensively to avoid road traffic accident. Other ways drivers can minimize road accident include the following:

• Driver should be tolerable and show less aggression while driving.

• Drivers with medical or health related problems should seek medical  advise from their doctors before driving.

• Drivers should be conversant with road traffic regulations and traffic conditions.

• Drivers should have basic knowledge of their vehicles which help in times of emergencies.

• As a driver, it is important to show courtesy on the road.

• Drivers should not drive under the influence of drugs especially those that are known to cause road accidents.

The present state of a vehicle is also very important at reducing the rate of accident on the road. One mistake owners of vehicle often make is that they wait until a vehicle develops fault before taking the vehicles for repairs. Vehicle should be checked periodically, if the need be give to qualified mechanics for servicing.

The condition of the road can help in reducing or minimizing road accident. The government or organization should ensure that roads are designed to standards. These include designing road with street lights, road signs, lane markings, etc.

The weather conditions is also important in minimizing road traffic accident. Drivers should take into consideration the weather condition of the place he is driving and adjust to those weather conditions. Drivers shold also learn how to drive in different weather situations, this will help to prevent road accidents.

Causes Of Road Traffic Accident

There are several causes of road traffic accident but it can be grouped into four. These are:

• The driver

• The vehicle

• The condition of the road

• Weather condition

• Pedestrians and animals

The driver of the vehicle is the most important cause of road traffic accident. The driver’s attitude is very important, this is because, a driver with a bad road altitude is more likely to cause road accident than a driver with courtesy on the road. The driver of the vehicle is also very important because he has to a great extent control over other causes of road traffic accident.

The current state of a vehicle will definitely influence the rate of road traffic accident. A faulty vehicle is already a menace on the road and can lead to road accident.

The condition of the road can also cause road traffic accident. For example, a road that is riddled with pot holes or roads that is poorly constructed can lead to road traffic accident. Some of these roads are common in the developing countries of the world.

The atmospheric condition of a place can influence the rate of road traffic accident. Weather condition of a place is beyond the control of drivers and cannot itself cause road traffic accident. What causes accident is when the driver drives in bad weather condition without taking precaution measures.

Pedestrians and animals crossing the road may cause road accident. This occurs most when pedestrians cross in places they are not permitted to do so. Road accident by pedestrians is common with children who walk on the streets without proper guidance.

Should You Drive Properly Or Defensively?

In my last post, I wrote on how to drive defensively. You can check it out to know what defensive driving entails.
In driving properly, the driver assumes that all other road users adhered strictly to road traffic rules and regulations.
The question now is should drivers drive ‘properly’ or ‘defensively’?
In a community where people adhere strictly to road traffic rules and regulations, driving properly would be adopted by the driver. But, we all know that this situation is difficult and may be impossible to achieve all the time because different kinds of people are found on the road. Some of them are absent minded, aggressive, dangerous, inexperience, under the influence of drug, etc.
So, if you must protect yourself from road traffic accident not necessary caused by you but by other road users, it is necessary to drive defensively. Driving defensively will save lots of lives and will help to avoid a situation where your safety depends solely on the response of other road users.
I am not trying to insinuate that driving properly is not alright or accepted; of course all drivers are expected to drive properly. But, driving properly alone will not protect you from road traffic accident. You must combine driving properly with defensively driving.  

How To Drive Defensively

To avoid road traffic accident, it is advisable for drivers to drive defensively. Driving defensively entails that a driver should consider other road users as a threat or potential hazard to them. This becomes necessary because a driver, there is little or nothing you can do to change the driving pattern of other drivers as well as the movement of other road users. Bu, you can do much by ensuring that the road is very safe to use by making sure that your safety does not depend on other road users. The following are ways to drive defensively.

• To drive defensively, you must be conversant with road traffic regulations. Be able to interpret road signs.

• You must be fully alert when driving or cultivate alertness on the road.

• You must be aware of possible anger on the road and must learn how to avoid them when they occur.

• You must be able to understand the vehicle and be able to drive the vehicle skillfully both at emergencies and normal conditions/situations.

• Do not stand your ground all the time even in if you are right. So, give right of way to others when it is safe to do so even in situations where they are wrong.

• You should anticipate correctly and act where necessary.

Common Distractions While Driving

For a driver to drive safely, to his/her destination he/she should try to have full concentration when driving on the road. In as much as drivers try to have concentration while driving, there are distractions here and there that seem to take the driver’s attention. The following are common distractions experienced by drivers.

Making or receiving calls while driving can lead to road accident because your attention can be taking from the road and diverted to the calls you are making or receiving. As a driver, it is advisable to stop your vehicle before making or receiving calls.

Discussing with passengers: Although, talking with passengers while driving is not bad. But doing it too much is bad and it can lead to traffic accident. It is common to find some drivers engaging their passengers in heated argument while driving.

Dancing while driving

Changing cassettes or CD or tuning to radio stations while driving.

Playing very loud music while driving

Distracted by listening to music: Playing or listening to music is not bad when driving, but, when you put your mind on the music instead of the vehicle you are driving can cause distraction which can lead to road accident.

How to drive safely at night

Driving at night is quite different from driving during day time. This is because the natural light from the sun is completely shut out. This causes reduction in visibility which makes the driver to be extra careful and extra vigilance. In the developing countries it is common to find roads without street lights which put both the occupants of the vehicle and other road users at risk. The following are tips to help drivers drive safely at night.

Night driving

Reduce the beam of light from your vehicle when approaching oncoming vehicle, especially in streets where there are no street lights. This is to prevent flashing lights at the driver of the oncoming vehicle which can lead to road accident. And also, when an oncoming vehicle beam its light on you and prevents you from seeing clearly, instead of beaming your light back at her, it is advisable to slow down and allow the vehicle to pass before continuing your journey.

Don’t leave the light of your vehicle on high beam when driving behind a vehicle. This can cause lights to reflect on the rear view mirror of the driver or drivers ahead and make them not to see clearly.

Avoid looking directly at the light of an oncoming vehicle.

Be on the look out for vehicles with one head light. This can lead to road accident especially in roads without street lights. A car with one head light on the road with poor visibility makes the vehicle to look like a motorcycle.

Always maintain your lane when driving at night. It helps prevent road accident.

What determines a driver speed?

The speed at which a driver goes determines how he makes prompt decisions on the road and also how he/she takes action in times of emergency. There are several factors that determine the speed at which a driver goes. The following are some of them.

Road condition: The condition of a road is one factor that determines the speed at which a driver drives a vehicle. This is because a bad or a poorly design road limits the drivers peed as compared to a good road with great designs.

Traffic density: The number of cars, other vehicles as well as road users affects the speed of drivers. For example, a driver driving on roads with less amount of traffic will move at a higher or greater speed as compared to drivers driving on roads with high flow of traffic.

The condition of the vehicle: A vehicle that is ‘sick’ definitely will be slow or not too fast when it hits the road as compared to vehicle that is sound and ‘healthy’. These ‘sick’ vehicles are common in the developing countries.

Experience of the driver: A driver’s experience determines how comfortable he/she will be driving on the road which also determines the speed at which he/she drives. But, an inexperienced driver will definitely drive at a slower speed.

Visibility: The extent to which a driver can see should determine how fast he/she should go. A driver should slow down or reduce the speed when he/she drives in places that have low visibility.

How To Exercise Caution When Driving

Every driver is expected to be careful while driving to avoid danger. This is very important especially when driving in crowded cities and places with less strict road regulations. The following tips can help you drive with care on the road.

Anticipate what is going to happen around the vehicle while driving. This is because anything can happen. As a driver, you can expect the unexpected when driving on the road.

Avoid over speeding. Over speeding can lead a driver of a vehicle to his/her untimely death. Avoid over speeding by observing the approved speed limits by the traffic regulation body of your country.

Be patient on the road. Don’t be too much in a hurry when driving. This leads to over speeding which puts your life and that of other road users as well as your passengers (if any) at risk. Be patient! It is better to be a patient than to be a patient in the hospital.

Always give signals before maneuvering and always check your rear view mirror before necessitating a bend.

Blend with the flow of traffic.  Don’t be too fast or too slow, move along with the traffic. If you are too fast, it leads to dangerous overtaking which can lead to road accident. But, if you are too slow it may result in traffic build up or slow movement of traffic. And this can also cause other drivers to overtake which may be dangerous overtaking.

Avoid overtaking at bends. It is very unsafe to overtake at bends especially when you cannot see ahead or check for up coming vehicle

How To Stop Dangerous Driving

There are so many reasons why drivers drive dangerously. Driving dangerously can put other road users at risk. As a driver, you can stop dangerous driving by following the tips below.

Be considerate to other drivers on the road irrespective of the vehicle you drive. For example, a driver of fast cars often feels slower cars or vehicles are menace on the road. 

Don’t compete with other drivers on the road. For example, if a car overtakes your car, you should not see it as a challenge and starts looking for every available means to overtake back. This often results in unnecessary competitions among drivers which puts the life of the drivers, their passengers (if any) and other road users a risk. This altitude is common among young drivers.

Don’t bring your emotions in the road. This is because your emotion can affect the way a driver drives greatly. Examples of emotions displayed by drivers include sorrow, anger, frustration, depression, worry, etc.

Avoid all forms of drugs before driving. Some of the drugs that cause rivers to rive dangerously include alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, etc. these drugs causes drivers to lack co-ordination on the road.

Be conversant with road regulations and traffic conditions.

Know your vehicle. This means, have basic knowledge of basic components of the vehicle an know how to fix them when they are faulty. This will help in times of emergency and save you from dangerous driving.
Be considerate to other road users. Roads are not for drivers of cars only. There are other road users such as the cyclist, pedestrians, etc.

Know that accident can happen to anybody irrespective of your age, sex, educational background, etc.  having this at the back of your mind can help you restrain caution when driving.

Don’t drive too close to a vehicle ahead. Give a reasonable distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead, especially when driving at high speed.

What Causes Dangerous Driving By Drivers

Dangerous driving by drivers is one of the major causes of road traffic accidents all over the world. There are several factors responsible for dangerous driving by drivers. These include:

• The physical condition of the driver
• Having little knowledge of the vehicle
• Having little knowledge of road traffic regulations and traffic conditions
• Non consideration for other road users
• Driving too close to the vehicle ahead
• Driving too fast
• underestimating accident

The physical condition of the driver: Driver with health problems is a potential cause of road traffic accident. For example, it is not advisable for an epileptic patient to drive, but if he/she does not take his/her drug regularly and hits the road it can lead to road accidents. Other health problems like poor eyesight, poor hearing, etc, can also lead to dangerous driving which may lead to road traffic accident.

Having little knowledge of the vehicle: A good driver should have basic knowledge of some vital parts of a vehicle. This will help the driver in times of emergency. This include having basic knowledge of the steering, brake, accelerators, etc, which of course varies from vehicle to vehicle. Failure of the driver to know this intricate parts of the vehicle can cause dangerous driving.

Having little knowledge of road traffic regulations and traffic conditions: Another cause of road traffic accident is failure on the part of some drivers to have basic understanding for road traffic regulations and traffic conditions. For example, a driver with little or no knowledge for road signs is a potential dangerous driver and he/she is not fit drive.

Non consideration for other road users: Dangerous driving can be caused by drivers who have little or no consideration for other road users. Drivers are not the only people that make use of the roads, there are others who also make use of the roads. Some of them include, cyclist, pedestrians, school children, etc. So, a driver who do not consider other road users will definitely drive dangerously.

Driving too close to the vehicle ahead: A driver is expected to give resonable distance between the vehicle he/she is driving and the vehicle ahead. Driving too close to the vehicle ahead is a sign the driver is driving dangerously.

Driving too fast: Driving fast is a sign the driver is driving dangerously. Most drivers drive fast probably because they are in a hurry or just for the fun.

Underestimating accidents: Some drivers tends to underestimate the power of accidents probably because some of them have not experience accidents before. Funny enough, some drivers exempt themselfves from accidents and blame drivers who ad accidents on negligence or inexperience on their part. But, they forget that accident can happen to anyone.

What To Do As A Passenger To Avoid Road Accident

As an occupant or passenger of a vehicle, it is your duty to ensure that driver drives safely. Most passengers do feel they can do little or nothing to avoid road accident. But, they forget that when road accident occurs, they are involved in the carnage. The driver is just one and most times there are many passengers in the vehicle. That is why, if you look at the statistics today, you discover that more passengers have lost their lives in road accident than drivers.

Passengers in a vehicle

What To Do As A Passenger To Avoid Road Accident

Be cautious when discussing with the driver: Allow the driver to concentrate by restraining caution in your discussion with him/her. Sometimes passengers engage driver of a vehicle in a discussion which sometimes leads to heated argument. This causes the driver to lose concentration and which can lead to road accident.

Watch if the driver is over speeding:As an occupant of a vehicle, it is necessary to observe if the driver of the vehicle is over speeding or if he/she has exceeded the speed limits. If you do not know the speed limit or if you are seated in a disadvantaged position, sure you do know when a car is over speeding. If you find out or perceive that the driver is over speeding, don't just sit there and do nothing: tell him/her to reduce the speed. If the driver refuses, then it is advisable to get down from the vehicle at the next available bus stop.

Be Alert: Try as much as you can to be alert when being conveyed in a vehicle. This is very necessary. It is only when you are alert you know when the driver is over speeding or when the driver is being distracted by any means. Also, being alert can reduce the effect of road accident when they occur. This is because a sleeping passenger is more likely to have shock when accident occurs.     

What Is Road Traffic Accident?

Almost every one have witness road traffic accident at one time or the other. For those who have experienced it, concerns have been raised at the carnage. Most of these accidents are caused largely by the indiscipline on the part of the drivers of the vehicles and sometimes the occupants or passengers of the vehicles. All over the world, many people have lost their lives, the lives of their loved ones and family members to road traffic accidents.
Before we dive into the meaning of road traffic accident, lets first of all know or understand the meaning of traffic. Traffic has to do with the movement of people and vehicles along roads, streets or highways.

Meaning Of Road Traffic Accident

Road traffic accident happens when the movement of one or more vehicles cause material damage, injury or death of a person or people. An accident is said to be a road traffic accident when it occurs on the road, streets, footpaths and other places the public access to.

Although road traffic accident is not pre-planned, sure it have causes and knowing these causes can help the driver, passengers, and other road users prevent or reduce road traffic accident. But most of the causes can be prevented by the driver.