THE issue of too many accidents taking place in Pakistan should be brought to people’s attention. Every year, road accidents injure and kill many people. The number of accident victims is increasing by the day. This is something that all of us can help reduce. The point is that it is very difficult to prevent accidents from taking place; but when they start happening on a frequent basis, something concrete must be done to tackle the problem.
Have you ever been wrongly overtaken by rude truck drivers? Has anyone ever tried to tailgate you? Have you seen people showing no regard for traffic lights? The answer to these questions would be, yes. Reckless driving is responsible for 85 per cent of all traffic accidents.
Bad driving habits of some insane persons often irk sensible people. They can be really dangerous. While driving, there should be more courtesy and cooperation. Bad driving just adds to congestion in traffic. If you see yourself on this list, it’s never too late to slide out of it.
It is unacceptable to lose one’s life or suffer injury because of the mistake committed by some foolish and negligent driver. And it is not advisable to try and teach a lesson from your moving vehicle to crazy drivers. Cautious driving is the best way to go about it. One should never overtake from a left-hand curve because one cannot see the vehicle coming from the opposite direction.
GOING TOO FAST: It’s a simple fact that the faster you go, the less time you have to react to emergencies; the harder you hit, the greater are the chances of dying or sustaining injuries. It is said speeding is responsible for 50 per cent of all fatal crashes. It is also the main reason for two out of three fatal accidents that take place on highways. To prevent death or injuries, you simply have to follow the speed limits.
TAILGATE: It is related to the above. Driving too close to the car moving ahead of you is a dangerous habit. People don’t realize that at 60kms per hour it takes an average car 120-160ft to stop. At 80kms, it takes 220 to 300ft to stop. If someone’s trying to tailgate, look for an opportunity to move over.
GOING PAST OTHER VEHICLES: Keep moving on the right side. Go past a car in a smooth, progressive manner and move back over as soon as you can clearly see the car in your rearview mirror. Don’t ‘slingshot’ around other vehicles. If someone wants to overtake you, don’t push the accelerator to make it more difficult or impossible. Passing is against the law in some places; it is more dangerous because you are less visible to other drivers.
Never use the shoulder or breakdown lane to skirt traffic, and never try to back up on the shoulder if you have missed your exit ramp or turn.
FAILURE TO USE TURN SIGNALS: Your chances of preventing an accident are great — even if you make a mistake — if other drivers know what you are going to do. Use the indicators while turning or making lane changes. And once you have used them, don’t forget to turn them off.
LANE-MERGING: We do a lot of lane-merging today — entrance and exit ramps, three lanes to two, two to one, etc. When it is the other driver’s turn to merge, let him or her in. This simple act of courtesy is the fastest and most logical way to keep moving smoothly.
IGNORING RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS: This is like forgetting to breathe. Stopping at the signal and stop signs is the most basic rule of driving. If it is ignored, you could be responsible for a serious accident. A red light — solid or blinking — or stop sign means STOP completely. A yellow light means caution. It does not mean accelerating to push your way through an intersection. If you have time to apply the brakes when the light changes to yellow, do it.
BLOCKING AN INTERSECTION: This is selfish and inconsiderate. Try to anticipate the traffic flow and never drive into an intersection when you know there is no chance to make it across before the traffic light changes. If you have blocked a pedestrian crosswalk, don’t back up. People may already be walking behind you.
BAD MANNERS: This includes a host of signs — cursing, obscene gestures, excessive horn honking, loud stereo, refusing to merge, littering (including cigarette butts) and just about any other act of rudeness or selfishness that makes the driving environment bad. A little more courtesy and consideration by all of us could make driving safer and more pleasurable.
FAILURE TO YIELD: That triangular sign means what it says. It doesn’t mean hit the gas, come to a complete stop, or muscle your way into traffic. If there is no yield sign, the rules of the road dictate that cars entering the roadway always yield to those on the roadway, and cars making a left-hand turn must yield to the incoming traffic. At an intersection with four-way stop signs, the first one to arrive has the right to move ahead. Otherwise, yield to the car on your right.
In addition, motorists should always yield to pedestrians, even if there is no crosswalk. Give motorcycles and bicycles the same rights and courtesies as any other vehicle; and come to a complete stop in both directions (unless it is on a divided highway) for school buses, displaying stop signs and flashing red lights.
