You know what I am talking about.
If you must drink before driving, drink water. Avoid alcohol; avoid getting drunk. About 70% of accidents are said to be caused by drunk-driving. Avoid stimulants and sedatives. If your driver is obviously drunk, don’t be his passenger!
Avoid over-speeding. Obey the speed-limits. Speed thrills but, also, speed kills! Kill your speed, and not yourself! If your driver is over-speeding, tell him to reduce speed; if he doesn’t comply, refuse to continue being his passenger. It’s better to be late (to your destination), than to be late [to be dead].
Use all the protective measures you know and have. Always use your seat-belts. Always fix the child-safety belts (for smaller children) and booster belts (for bigger children), even if you are driving for only a short distance. Air-bags are life-saving. For those riding (bicycles, motorcycles, horses, etc.), helmets are very helpful. Caution is not fear.
Resist the urge to eat or drink especially if it would involve you looking down to pick whatever you want to put in your mouth. It is distracting. Advise your driver about the dangers of getting distracted when eating while driving.
About 25% of distractions are caused by using cell-phones. Whatever it is — making or receiving calls, sending or receiving text messages, reading or replying chat messages — just pull-over! Resist the urge to use your cell-phones while you are in motion. Active conversation with passengers, that is very involving, is also distracting. Looking down to operate the car radio is a distraction. Don’t get carried away by loud, hard music.
Avoid recklessness. Be very careful. About 25% of accidents occur at junctions and intersections. Slow down. Check. And check again. Don’t follow other drivers or riders too close behind. Say “no” to bumper-to-bumper driving. Be careful in congested areas. Learn to look in the mirrors frequently. Watch out for road-bumps. Follow road signs. Obey traffic lights. Be careful.
Do regular checks of tires, brakes, oils.
Obey. And many more of the road signs, rules, and regulations. Do this and you would reduce road traffic accidents — and the risk of disability and death to a comfortable minimum. Bad roads and other bad road-users will be what might be outside you immediate power to control. But, “God dey”!
You know all these things.
Just do it.
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