How To Overtake Safely

A driver may want to overtake if he catches up with the vehicle ahead of him. Overtaking cannot be avoided at certain times due to the presence of slower vehicles on the road. When overtaking is done wrongly, it can be dangerous and can lead to road traffic accident. To overtake safely, you must take into consideration certain factors before and when overtaking. The following tips can help to overtake on the road safely.

• Check to ensure that the road is clear and then look at your mirror to make sure that no vehicle is trying to overtake from behind.

• Keep a reasonable distance between your car and the vehicle you are about to overtake. In other words, don’t drive too close or too far from the vehicle ahead. Driving too close can obscure what is in front of the vehicle which can be dangerous. On the other hand driving too far from the vehicle ahead before overtaking may make you miss your chance of overtaking which can lead to road accident.

• Hold the steering wheel of your car with your too hands.

• Ensure you give enough warnings to the driver of the vehicle ahead before overtaking. You can do this by pressing the horn or flash the light of your car.

• Before returning back to your original lane, ensure that there is enough distance between your car and the vehicle you have overtaken. You can use your mirror to check this.

• Don’t follow a vehicle that is overtaking or in the process of overtaking other vehicle as it can be very dangerous.

How To Make A Safe Turn While Driving

Safe turning is necessary to avoid road traffic accident. There are some requirements a driver must fulfill to have a safe turning during driving. Below are some of them.

• A driver must use signal indicator early and correctly before negotiating a turn. This makes your intention to turn and your direction known to other road users.

• Do not speed to the point or junction where you intend to make the turn. Slow down when approaching the point of turning.

• Ensure it is safe to turn before turning. Not checking properly can lead to road accident.

• Make good use of your mirror.

• Ensure your car is positioned correctly before negotiating a turn. Turning right has a different positioning from turning left.

• Observe carefully at road junctions before making a turn. Look left, then right, then left again before turning.

How To Negotiate A Right Turn Safely

Turning right is easier and less dangerous than turning left. However, if requires special care to achieve a successful right turning. The following tips can help you negotiate a right turn successfully.

• Start signaling from about 40 meters to the junction where you wish to make the turn and slow down.

• Move closer to the right

• Before making the turn, check both sides of the road and ensure it is safe before making the turn.

• Avoid turning wide. Keep to the right margin while turning.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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 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.