Around 3,300 people die on roads each day in the world because of road accidents. Road traffic injuries are one of the top three causes of death for people aged between 5 and 44 years. India suffers with around 1,05,000 traffic deaths in a year, China suffers around 96,000 traffic deaths a year, and US suffers around 42,600 traffic deaths a year (WHO Survey Report). The number of people disabled on account of road crashes is very significant in number. People leave the world, leaving their dreams unfulfilled, and their loved ones suffer the pain lifelong. The pain is inexpressible.
The people who lost their lives on road accidents are not different and they were just like anyone of us. Around 140 people are losing their lives each hour in the world because of road accidents. An accident can happen to anyone, anytime.
Please drive safe on roads. Follow the precautions as below:
1. Obey the speed limits
Speed limits are MEANT FOR SOMETHING on roads. Each type of Roadways (highways, local arterials, residential roads etc.) are designed for certain design speeds based on their functionality. Speed limits are put in place considering these design speeds and the area type. Speeding over this speed is NOT SAFE. Driving is not just about you driving safely, it has also to do with the roadway that you are driving on. In extreme weather conditions, even the design speeds might not be safe. Please do obey the speed limits.
2. Do not drink and drive
A driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.15 or greater is 25 times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than that of a driver who has not consumed alcohol beverages. Please do not drink and drive.
3. Use helmets while driving two-wheelers and three-wheelers
Head Injury is one of the major factors of traffic accident death, and helmets are the BEST way to safeguard from this. Please use helmets while driving two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
4. Buckle up the seat belts and use child safety restraints
Seat belts are intended to reduce injuries by stopping the wearer from hitting hard interior elements of the vehicle or other passengers and by preventing the passenger from being ejected out from the vehicle. Please use seat belts for both front and rear seats and child safety restraints for children; these reduce the risk of fatal accidents.
5. Do not text while driving
Please do not text messages on phone while driving. This increases the risk of a crash by around 23 times as compared to a non-distracted driver. Please also try to minimize the cell-phone usage completely while driving, as various tasks of operating cell phones like dialing, talking etc. increase distractedness and thereby the risks of a crash too.
6. Reduce the speed at work zones
Reduce the speeds at work zones. Many construction workers die each year on account of work zone related crashes. Please do value their lives; they are working for us for better roads, please reduce the speeds and drive slowly near work zones, for the safety of all. According to the statistics - In work zones across the U.S., an injury occurs every nine minutes and a fatality every eight hours.
7. Stay alert always
Remember that an accident is not always caused on account of your fault; there may be other factors too. Please stay alert on road always. Watch out for aggressive drivers, pedestrians, and animals on roadways.
8. When you are a pedestrian, please try to cross only at crosswalks/zebra crossings and stay alert. Watch out for vehicles while crossing at intersections, especially for right turning vehicles (in right hand side driving countries) and for left turning vehicles (in left hand side driving countries). These turns, in most places, can be made on red signal too with a stop and go. Drivers making these turns usually look for the conflicting movements from other approaches (for traffic that has ‘green‘ light) and at times might miss to watch the pedestrians in the cross walk. If you are a driver, please watch out for pedestrians in cases like this.
9. Always remember that rules are meant for our safety, and please do obey the road/traffic rules.
Driving is never a fashion and it deals with the lives of you and many others. Please be safe on roads.
