Our roads have the reputation of being one of the deadliest roads on the planet. Roads, here are notorious for taking lacs of lives every year due to bad driving conditions and stupid drivers!
Driving on our roads is no less than a dangerous adventure sport! This can be ascertained from the fact that a total of 4,64,910 road accidents were reported in the year 2017, taking the lives of 1,47,913 people and leaving 4,70,975 people injured.
So, it is crucial to learn some tips that would keep you safe on these treacherous roads.
- Inspect Your Car
A smart driver always inspects a car before hopping into the vehicle. After all, you do not want to discover a brake failure at high speeds or the tyre bursting on expressways. So, always do a brief inspection of brakes, clutch pedals, engine oil level, and battery condition before you hit on roads.
- Wear seat belts
You should never compromise when it comes to your safety. A car belt is made to prevent you from being thrown out of the car during a crash. So, always wear a seat belt when driving and insist on the co-passenger to do the same. As per experimental studies, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injuries by a massive 50%, which is a life saver.
- No Texting While Driving
Many people can’t resist the urge to reply to constant beeping WhatsApp messages, during driving. Texting while driving is fast becoming the cause of road accidents, especially among the age group of 18 to 35. The average time to read or reply to a text is around 5 seconds which are more than enough for a life-altering road accident. The distraction is just not limited to just phones but fiddling with the car music system while driving forms a part of dangerous and distracted driving. So, avoid the urge to use mobile phones and fiddling with a car stereo. You should use mobile phones only when your vehicle is parked on the left side of the road, leaving the vehicle’s parking light on.
- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Don’t listen to your stupid ego which would try to convince you that you can drive even after gulping couple of alcohol shots! Drinking alcohol induces drowsiness that slows down your reaction time which affects your judgment of the oncoming traffic. So, never ever mix drinking and driving as you not only put your life at risk but to others’ lives also. If you are caught driving under the influence of alcohol, you are bound to get fined and, in some cases, you might be put behind bars. So, if you are planning to get drunk, then plan to hire a cab also. If you are out with your friends in a car, make sure there is someone who will not drink and knows how to drive.
- No Tailgating
Tailgating is a scenario when a vehicle leaves little or no space between the front vehicle. this scenario can be observed when there is heavy traffic on roads. In such scenarios, there is a high probability of an accident in case of sudden application of brakes.
Our roads are very unpredictable, you can encounter an animal, a pedestrian or an oncoming vehicle coming from the wrong side of the road at any moment. So always keep your senses on high-alert when driving on the road.
