Driving Safety Advice

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A week or so ago, a video popped up on my Facebook timeline that really grabbed my attention; it was a video released by Sussex police of two boys driving in a car at night as they crashed and both tragically were killed. The footage is so raw you feel both uncomfortable and heartbroken watching it because although it is unpleasant to watch, it’s so important that as many people as possible see the consequence of reckless driving.

It’s easy to feel invincible and safe when you’re in a car but there are so many factors that compromise your safety that you don’t even think about whilst driving. A few years ago, James and I were driving in our hometown in South East London in the pouring rain. We’d come to a stop while we waited to pull out of one road onto another, then shortly after coming onto the new road it bent sharply and in the rain the car just skidded off the road and into a lamppost. We weren’t going fast (probably around 15mph) as we’d just been stopped and while we were sort of gliding towards the lamppost we knew what was happening but when trying to break the car just wouldn’t stop. I guess because of the momentum or friction or something of the tyres on the water, but at that moment it dawned on me what people meant when they were talking about an accident when someone had ‘just lost control’ because we knew what was happening but we could do nothing to stop it. We were fine, the lamppost was fine, but the car wasn’t. After the collision I jumped out the car and expected a headlight to be broken, but instead both headlights were broken as the front of the car was completely crumpled and the bumper was basically folded in half. When I first saw it I wanted to laugh. The crash was so tiny, the lamppost didn’t have a scratch on it but the car looked like the front of it had been in a trash compactor; I couldn’t believe how much it had been damaged, it was as if it was made of paper.

Fast forward two years and we now live in Brighton. I hate driving in Brighton because everywhere is a hill, the traffic is awful and the roads are all one way and awkward. My university campus is in Hastings and I used to drive there instead of commuting on the train, and even though I know the drive like the back of my hand, if it was ever a rainy day I’d be gritting my teeth the whole way because I know it was impossible to stay in control when the car hit water when we were going 15mph, I was terrified of going over water on the motorway at 70mph. Although thankfully our tiny accident let us walk away unharmed, thinking about the story of the two boys who were driving 90mph and lost control and thinking about us driving 15mph and losing control; it really makes me realize although speed is a huge, huge factor in driving safely, there is more you can do than just stick to the speed limit to make sure you are safe.

-Always Wear a Seat Belt-

Whether you like it admit it or not, wearing a seatbelt can save your life. It is so important to always be wearing a seatbelt and making sure your passengers do to because honestly, it’s proven they are a life or death decision.

-Check Your Tyre Pressure Regularly-

Not only is it a legal requirement to ensure your tyres are above a certain pressure level, but keeping them within the required level will help with many things including grip on the road surface and braking speed. It’s recommended to check your tyre pressure once a month and I keep in my car a little machine which does that, so I can easily do it at home.

-Invest in Tyres-

Tyres are so important when thinking about safety whilst driving as statistics show that lack of tyre safety contributes to more than 1200 road accidents. Good quality tires will cause less skidding and a higher breaking performance, maintain steering control and have more protection against extreme weather conditions. Companies such as Point-S tyres in London provide a great service for purchasing new tyres as you can book out the tyres of your choice and then reserve a fitting appointment; which I find a massive time saver.

-ALWAYS Keep Within the Speed Limit-

Everyone and their mother will tell you this, but that’s because it’s so important. Absolutely years ago I remember there was an advert on the radio saying if you hit someone at 30mph, there’s an 80% chance they’ll live, but if you hit them at 40mph, there’s an 80% chance they’ll die and it’s been ingrained in my memory since. Speed limits are there for a reason and honestly, any excuse you can think of for going too fast is just not worth it. Driving fast is not worth putting your life on the line for.

-Stay Focused and Alert-

Stay focused on your driving, but also the driving of people around you, anticipating their mistakes may seem unnecessary but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Always stay focused on the road and if you’re feeling tired and your eyes are getting heavy just pull over.

Whether you’re already a driver or learning, I think it’s important to be reminded about being safe while driving and although it is harrowing to think about accidents, it’s necessary to be reminded of the consequences of not taking safety seriously when driving.