Seven
Road Safeties to Remember
The land transportation
technology becomes very progressive. Once took days to travel now take hours;
once took hours now take minutes. But as it gives us more comforts, it also
gives us higher risk.
There are 1.24 million road
traffic death occur every year. Half of those who die on the world’s roads are
vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. There are 3500 people die on the road every
day. The numbers speak for themselves: this is a public health and development
crisis that is expected to worsen unless action is taken.
There are seven road safety
reminders to avoid risk in road traffic deaths and injuries.
Random breath testing
Drinking and driving,
especially with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of over 0.05 g/dl
(grams per deciliter), greatly increases the risk of a crash and the
possibility that it will result in death or serious injury. Law enforcement of
random breath testing checkpoints is highly cost–effective and can reduce alcohol-related
crashes by approximately 20%.
Helmet Wearing
50% of all road traffic
deaths are among motorcycles, pedestrians, and cyclists. 23% of this is from
motorcycles and 5% from cyclist. Requiring helmets to meet recognized safety
standards, to be in good condition and to be properly worn, can significantly
reduce head injuries.
Speeding
In high-income countries, speed contributes to
about 30% of road deaths, while in some low and middle-income countries speed
is the main factor in about half of road deaths. A safe distance for braking is
proportional to a vehicle’s speed. For example, a car travelling at 50 km/h
takes 28 m to stop, whereas a vehicle driven at 90 km/h takes 70 m to stop.
Determining a “safe speed” involves consideration of a number of factors, such
as the type and function of the road, the kinds of collisions and the traffic
mix.
Seat Belts
Wearing a seat-belt can reduce fatalities
among front-seat passengers by up to 50% and among rear-seat car passengers by
up to 75%. Public awareness campaigns,
mandatory seatbelt laws and their enforcement have been highly effective in
increasing the rates of seatbelt wearing.
Child Restraints
Child restraint systems,
such as child seats for infants and booster seats for older children, decrease
the risk of death in a crash by about 70% for infants and up to 80% for small
children. Mandatory child restraint laws and enforcement are effective in
increasing the use of child restraints.
In order to be effective, child restraint systems must meet standards,
be appropriate to the age and size of the child and installed correctly.
Presence of mind
Driving condition must be
identified before hitting the road. Sleeping while driving also contributed to
death and injuries in the road. Drivers who are using mobile phones are about
four times more likely to be involved in a crash. Text messaging while driving,
which involves cognitive, manual, and visual distraction, results in a
significantly increased likelihood of a crash.
Appropriate Vehicle Lights
Weak or short headlights,
tail lights and hazards lights must not be considered during driving. This is
more prone to road accidents especially at night and rainy season.
Though the increase in
deaths and injuries in the road increases every year, these can be lessened by
the driver’s awareness of road safety standards. Most of all, it is the drivers
self-discipline that could help him avoid such disgrace. He will not only help
himself but also help those drivers driving around him.