Think of how many journeys you make in a day, how many in a week, a month, a year...How many of these are in a car or another road vehicle? Although the distances travelled will vary between individuals, most people are surprised when they learn how often they travel by road. It may be that you only take your car out once a week or less, but for the average individual, this is not the case. Often commuting is a necessary evil, and sometimes people have to travel quite some distance to their place of work. So whether you drive to work seven days a week, use your car to go to the mall, pick up the kids from school or visit friends and relatives, keeping it in good working order is essential.
Often, people who live in big cities have less need to drive; they can reach their destination quicker using other means like trains, buses and trams. For those in out in more rural areas, cars are often needed just to travel to the nearest shop or school. Looking at the amount of cars out on the highway every day, it is clear how most people travel around. And everyone who drives on public roads has a certain responsibility – to drive well for the safety of themselves and other roads users. There are always going to be people who break the law – tuning into a police chase TV program leaves no shadow of a doubt that there are some seriously dangerous drivers out there. But this is all the more reason to drive defensively.
Concentrating on driving is one of the basics of staying safe, be constantly alert to hazards, ready to use your brakes or another means to avoid accidents. This is why drivers are encouraged not to drive when they are tired, as this can blunt concentration and slow reactions. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances can also have a terrible impact on driving, leading to over confidence, under confidence and an inability to judge speeds and distances. The first step in stopping or slowing a car is not when you start to use the brakes – it is when you spot a developing hazard and process this, the thinking time. A tired brain will take longer to process information and react; meaning that you hit the brakes later than you would do if fully rested, and when braking in an emergency, a split second can make the difference between an accident and safety.
Car accidents can kill, and through this can ruin countless lives. Those lucky people who survive car accidents are sometimes permanently disabled, or suffer emotionally for many years. Those who claim to be fearless of driving recklessly as they are not afraid to die should firstly consider that other road users may not share this view, and also consider what it would be like spending the rest of their life incapacitated. Remember to make sure that you and your car are in good shape before setting out on a journey, so that safety mechanisms, from reaction times to brakes are all working at their best.
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