Safe driving I have been in the Kingdom for a couple of years now and I have seen more accidents here than I have in my entire life outside Saudi Arabia. Sometimes, I see three accidents in one single day, within a driving distance of just about 10 km or so. That’s simply amazing. The reasons are nothing but speeding, lack of concentration on the road and total disregard for others. Though I have lived in a number of countries and also traveled across quite a few, I have never seen driving habits as bizarre as those here. Instead of slowing down near a traffic intersection, people tend to go faster and step on the accelerator as soon as they see the green signal from a distance. By this time a few of them are at the intersection before the others and if the signal turns red, well, then it seems as if they have been genetically engineered, like a “Terminator.” They do not stop and jump the signal thereby putting themselves as well as others at risk of an accident. If the signal is red and the guy has to turn left he takes the far right lane, speeds and wildly overtakes everybody and parks his car boldly across the lanes of traffic, without for a moment realizing that he has done something very stupid. Likewise, most of them do not know that they should slow down near a curve. They think the speed limit signs and speed breakers are not meant for them. Studies abroad have revealed that increasing the speed from 60 km/hr to 65 km/hr doubles the risk of getting involved in a fatal accident. If the accelerator is pressed further to 70 km/hr, the risk becomes fourfold. Just imagine what happens when you are going at 100 km/hr or more! People are unaware of the braking distance, that is, how far their cars travel after they apply the brakes. Ideally, you would wish your car to stop immediately, especially in an emergency but in reality it does not happen. If you are traveling at 60 km/hr and you apply the brakes, on the average it may cover a distance of some 20 meters, depending on the design of the braking system and other factors, before it comes to a complete stop. Now, mind you, this is not yet the actual stopping distance. The actual stopping distance will also include the distance traveled during the reaction time, that is, the time when the driver perceives the danger and reacts to it by applying the brakes. The reaction time of an average driver who is concentrating on the road is about 1.5 seconds which means that if he is driving at 70 km per hour he would already have covered a distance of 30 meters before his brakes are actually activated. Although the construction and function of brakes have been enhanced over the years and manufacturers have perfected their designs, the laws of physics have not changed. The braking distance is proportional to the square of the speed; that means it increases considerably with increase in speed. Besides, there are other factors at work on the road. For example, the frictional resistance between the road and the tires, the tread design and depth of the treads, tire pressure, the surface condition of the road, whether it’s raining or the road is dry, the slope of the road, the brake pedal free-play, the condition of the brakes, braking technique, efficiency of the brake system, vehicle weight, etc. If the driver is listening to loud music, talking on the mobile or is distracted for other reasons, the reaction time may double which means the car would travel a much greater distance before the brakes begin to work. It is extremely important to understand that your vehicle will never stop immediately as soon as you apply the brakes. It will travel a considerable distance before it comes to a complete halt. So next time you are on the road, keep in mind that the lower the speed the less the stopping distance but as you keep on pressing the accelerator further, this distance is increased and the risk of an accident increases. Avoid tailgating at high speeds; you will simply not be able to stop without an accident. Concentrate on the road while driving; your reaction time will make the difference between life and death. |
