Low - Risk Driving  a skill for LIFE 

- - - - - - - - - - Road Safety by Dieter Fischer - - - - - - - - - - ISBN No. 0 09577 426 06   

   Your  SAFETY  is  Driving

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C.26   DISTRACTION  CAUSE  DESTRUCTION

Handling a motor vehicle safely takes all your attention, especially as a beginner driver. A 2000 dollar damage bill was caused by a 17-year old, who only had been licensed for a few days. He had bought a pizza and was eating it as he happily drove home through suburban back streets. Just as he turned a corner, trying to steer with one hand, a piece of his food broke and fell onto his lap.

Without thinking, in a reflex, he tried to retrieve it, losing control of the steering. The car smashed into a tree, the young lad lucky to be uninjured.

 

                                                 (Photo with permission)

 

Distractions can be classed into three categories:

1. Unforeseen events:	An insect buzzes around in the car, a spider crawls onto the dashboard. The natural reaction is to flick it. At high speed this leads to serious disasters. Turning around to tend to children or babies, trying to wipe a fogged up windscreen, the list is endless, all must be done after stopping the vehicle. < Don't kill a spider while driving. It may kill you both!
2. Deliberate neglect: DON'T DO IT !	Don't do these while driving: Eating, drinking, smoking,  texting, changing a CD, playing with the radio or other accessories, fastening the seatbelt, adjusting mirrors or seats, reading the road map etc. The use of mobile phones whilst driving, unless it is a hands-free set, has now been outlawed in many parts of the world. Texting while driving is emerging as major cause in rear end crashes! No matter how good you are. Sign Oprah's pledge! http://www.oprah.com/packages/no-phone-zone.html
3. Outside distractions:	Sightseeing, window-shopping, watching unusual events such as, accidents, fires, looking for an address or landmark, getting distracted by people (*shapely women !!) etc. all take attention away from the road ahead. <  What was this driver looking at? (Unless he or she misunderstood the term: Dip your headlights?   < If no beach or ramp is available to Dip Head Lights, here is an alternative method. Photo: thechainlink.org

 

Thanks to Transport SA (South Australia)