As motorists, we all need to follow rules on road safety, just to remind us how to drive safely, not only for our own sakes, but also for others on the road. Having an accident is not a light matter, and thus, in the same way, motorists need to take these safety rules to heart.
TEN ROAD SAFETY RULES TO ABIDE BY
According to an AA article there are ten ‘golden’ road safety rules that have been published by FIA or the International Federation of Automobile Clubs. These rules promote the ’Decade of Action for Road Safety,’ which was launched by the United Nations to reduce road fatalities worldwide.
HAVE YOU FASTENED YOUR SAFETY BELT?
To buckle up could mean a matter of life and death. It’s the law in South Africa. And don’t forget the little ones. A child below 3 years of age has to be secured in a child seat of appropriate size.
RESPECT THE LAW OF THE ROAD
Lack of respect for anything tends to render you blasé and perhaps even reckless. Lack of respect of the sea and the mountains can kill you. The same applies to not respecting the rules of the road. We tend to think that rules are there to spoil our fun, but those who designed them have only one thing in mind – to protect yourselves from yourselves and from others on the road.
WHY NOT STICK TO THE SPEED LIMIT?
Many motorists have no idea what immense forces are at play when their car is hurtling down the road at 120 km/hour. Cars of today feel so comfortable, and secure, that we are inclined to travel in this little ‘safe’ bubble on the roads and think that nothing can touch us. And yet, here we are, so fragile, surrounded by steel and glass.
ARE YOUR TYRES ROADWORTHY?
Make sure the tread of your tyres is not less than the legal limit in South Africa. The minimum legal tread depth is 1.6 mm across the middle 75% of the tread width and round its complete circumference. Use a gauge to measure or, if you don’t have one, go to a tyre dealer. Also check the pressures regularly, including that of the spare tyre. “What’s the fuss about?” you may ask. “The tyres still look fine to me.”
WHY MAKE SUCH A FUSS OF TYRES?
There are two issues at stake here. First, we may not realize that, at any one time during our travel, our only contact with mother earth are those 4 small rubber ‘patches’ touching the road surface. We have to rely on those 4 ‘patches’ in an emergency stop.
The second issue is that your insurer may well reject an accident claim, because the tyres were found to be not roadworthy. This could cripple your finances, having to pay for your own car’s damages, as well as for the other car’s damages.
DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE
You’ve heard this warning mentioned so often that you may no longer be paying attention to it. But drinking seriously impairs you driving ability and judgement. The worst part about it is that, after a few drinks, you feel so confident behind the wheel. Nothing could be further from the truth.
ARE YOUR CHILDREN SECURELY BUCKLED UP IN THEIR SPECIAL SEATS?
You dearly love your children and the last thing you want is to hurt them. Yet, sadly, motorists are often seen driving with children sitting in the back seat, either not buckled up, or not even in a proper child seat, should that be required. In the case of an accident, their tiny bodies will become projectiles. Finally, don’t fall into the trap of not bothering to buckle up when going only one block to the café. Accidents don’t only happen on long trips.
BE ALERT TO ANY DISTRACTION
Distraction can be fatal because things can happen so fast on the road. You may be looking in the cubby hole for a CD you want to play and your eyes are off the road for 2 seconds. Or, you are holding your cell phone in the one hand, involved in a deep conversation. Worse still, you may even be texting a message. It’s not fair to you, your passengers or others on the road.
ARE YOU GETTING TIRED WHILE DRIVING?
A tired driver is considered to perform the same as a drunk driver. Think about that. You would never drink and drive, but how about a good night’s sleep before going on holiday?
DON’T FORGET YOUR HELMET
If you have a motorbike or bicycle, don’t forget to put on your helmet.
DRIVE DEFENSIVELY
Drive defensively and avoid triggering any road rage. Preferably, be on the slow side and be courteous to your fellow travellers. Don’t try and prove a point when some other driver is in the wrong. It’s not worth it.
Now that you have taken serious note of the above road safety rules, you still need to protect your car. Why not buy affordable car insurance with PMD?
Disclaimer:
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views and opinions of Prime Meridian Direct (Pty) Ltd, FSP41040 (car insurance and life cover products). The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.