Motorist safety is not simply about driving properly while on the road. As a matter of fact, motorist safety actually starts in your garage even before you hit the road. And since we’ve been on the topic of bad weather, let me go over some tips that will help you ensure that your car is in shape to handle those slippery roads.
Check your tires.
How are they? Make sure that your tires are always in good condition, and that they have enough track. Actually, even if you’re not driving on wet roads, the condition of your tires may very well keep you safe. On wet roads, however, it is even more important. Bald tires will offer little or no resistance to hydroplaning, and that could be the death of you – literally.
Check your wipers.
How often do you replace your wipers? I know some people who do not replace their wipers on a regular basis. Car safety experts suggest, however, that you change your wipers at least once a year. If you are not convinced, try to remember when you had a faulty wiper and it suddenly rained. The chances are that the wiper didn’t help much in clearing the water from the windshield. In all probability, it just made smudges that made seeing clearly a remote possibility. And of course, you have to see clearly to drive safely. So, make sure that you have those wipers in tip top shape all the time.
Check your defroster.
For reasons similar to what I explained above, you have to be sure that your defroster is working properly. Come rain or snow, you will be sure that your windows and windshield will be clear to see through.
In my last post, we took a look at some of the most common sense tips to help you keep safe while on wet roads. Here are some more that you can bear in mind.
Stay away from the side of the road.
As much as possible, drive as near to the middle of the road as you can. The rationale behind this tip is the fact that most of the roads in the United States are crowned in the middle. As a result, the water tends to run off to the sides of the road. In many cases, the water gathers toward the sides, posing a hazard to motorists.
Always turn your headlights on.
This is the law in many places actually, but not everyone really does it. If I were you, the moment that a light rain falls, I would turn my headlights on. Even if you can see relatively clearly ahead of you, it would still help. More so, your headlights would alert other motorists to your presence. A word of caution: do not use your high beams when there is a fog. Instead, use your fog lights if you have them.
Keep your eyes on the car ahead of you.
While you have to keep your eyes on the road and the condition, you also have to pay attention to the car in front of you. Make sure he has enough space, especially if he has to suddenly brake. Also, seeing how the car in front of you “behaves” will give you a pretty good idea of what is ahead.
Drive safe!
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the weather has been crazy these past few months. Where it is supposed to be summer, they are getting storms. Where it is supposed to be cold, the temperatures are way up. In case you find yourself driving in the rain, here are some tips that will help you stay safe.
Pay extra attention when it suddenly rains after a long dry spell.
This may seem common sense but sometimes, people overlook like. The fact is that during dry spells, engine oil and grease build up on the road surface. When it suddenly rains and the road gets wet, the grease and oil mix, making more dangerous than usual.
Brake sooner and with less force.
Slippery roads make for dangerous times when you brake. As such, when driving in the rain, do brake sooner than you normal would. Also, do not press on the brakes with as much force as you normally would. This would not only give you more distance between your car and the car in front of you but it would also give the driver behind know enough time to hit the brakes himself.
Do NOT use cruise control.
Cruise control was invented for a reason but it was never meant to be used in bad weather. Do not feel lazy when driving in rainy weather but instead be alert as you possibly can.
These are some of the most simple tips that can help you in bad weather. More to follow in the next post.
Talk about irony. Tom Riall has been banned from driving for six months after being caught by police officers for driving at over 102 mph at a 100 mph zone. Now, you might be wondering what the big deal is. There are a lot of people who have been apprehended for the same violation. You might even personally know a person or two who has been in this situation.
Tom Riall, however, is not just any person. He is, in fact, a senior executive at Britain’s biggest speed camera firm. Now, you see why it is such a big deal! The Times Online has this story:
Tom Riall, 49, was apprehended by police officers when they recorded him driving at 102.92mph on the A14 near Newmarket, in Suffolk.
Mr Riall is head of Serco’s home affairs division, which has installed and managed speed cameras at more than 4,000 sites around Britain since 1992.
He was fined and banned from driving at Sudbury magistrates court today after his third speeding offence in two years. “I accept the decision of the court. I recognise that speeding is not acceptable and regret what I did,” he said outside court. “My speed was excessive and I’ve made a full apology.”
Apology notwithstanding, the executive has been banned from driving on the roads for the next six months. I think that it is such a simple “punishment” for an act that goes beyond breaking the law. Then again, he is only human.
The moral of the story? Walk the talk!
