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.