Effective Ways to Prevent Accidents: Safety Starts With Me

During the 2024 Parliamentary Winter Session, Union Minister of Road and Transport, Nitin Gadkari mentioned that around 1.78 lakh people die in road accidents every year. The year 2024 saw more road accidents than 2023 but fewer fatalities, a fact that can be attributed to safer vehicles and improved road infrastructure. That said, the most important person who can prevent an accident is the person driving i.e. you. 

The report from the MoRTH states that overspeeding is responsible for the highest number of accidents (75.2%), followed by driving on the wrong side of the road (5.8%) and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (2.5%). In essence, our poor driving behaviour is the leading cause of road accidents in India. If we avoid these actions, our roads become significantly safer for all. However, there is a lot more you can do to make your drive safer for yourself and others around you. 

Tips on Preventing Accidents: Safety Is The Best Policy

Fitness is Paramount

Ensuring your car is in perfect condition is a great way to prevent car accidents. Check that your car’s tyres are in good condition and properly inflated and your brakes work effectively. Fitness extends to you as well. Ensure that you are well rested before embarking on a drive. 

Distractions are Costly

Ensure that your drive is devoid of distractions. These distractions can be as simple as eating, talking on your phone, texting or even fiddling with your infotainment or AC controls. Your car covers 33 metres in two seconds when driven at 60kmph. The average 60-0 kmph braking distance with your reaction time comes to 54 metres. While driving, your focus needs to be solely on the task at hand. 

Don’t Drink and Drive

This applies to not just alcohol but mild altering drugs and prescriptions as well. A simple cough medicine can make you drowsy and impair your reaction times. If you have had too much to drink the night before, it is prudent to trade your car keys for a cab or have a sober friend drive you to your destination. 

Stay Alert and Anticipate

Safety is not just being alert about your surroundings, it is the ability to anticipate events before they happen and expect the inevitable. For example, if you see a ball crossing the road, expect a child to come after it as well and slow down your vehicles accordingly. Anticipating the worst will help you prepare better for the event when it actually happens. 

Observe Beyond the Ordinary

Do not limit your observation to your line of sight. Look beyond and around you. Situational awareness only comes into play if you observe what is around you. If a bus is stopped ahead of you, look under it for there might be a passenger trying to cross the road from the front of the bus. Another helpful tip is to observe the front wheels of a car you are about to overtake. A car’s front wheel turns before it does, allowing you enough time to react. 

Avoid Reaction Based Driving

Knee jerk reactions often lead to disaster. For example, someone suddenly appearing in front of you might result in you swerving into a vehicle beside you despite there being ample braking distance to safely stop the car. Muscle memory is true and takes a lot of time and experience to develop. Till then, it is best to anticipate and try to predict what’s happening around you.

Control your Emotions

Always keep a level head while driving. In the battle of road rage, no one wins and  the worst case scenario entails one getting hurt and the other going to jail. It’s best to smile and be the bigger person. Chasing someone in anger and cutting someone off is one of the riskiest things you can do in an automobile. Ultimately, reaching your home safe and sound is the ultimate goal. 

Drive According to Your Surroundings

This encapsulates the road conditions, rural, urban or highway driving, crowd, weather and time of the day as well. There are a lot of cheat codes to this. Some examples are oil slicks appearing on the road after the first rains, fresh dung indicating a herd of cows nearby, low visibility just before sunset and morning fog. It is prudent to drive according to your surroundings. 

Follow Traffic Rules

Traffic rules exist for a reason, even when that 30 kmph speed limit does not make sense. Following traffic rules will not just protect your wallet from fines, but also the heartache of damaging your car in case of an accident. 

Speed Up to Be Safe

It may sound counter-intuitive, but the right speed can save your life. Of course, this does not mean that you should overspeed. The idea is to be slightly faster than those around you to keep a safe distance between you and other road users. There are a lot of variables to this as well like knowing the right braking distance for your speed. 

Overtake Fast

While you plan your overtaking maneuver be over cautious but once you have started to overtake, stay committed and finish what you start. The space where you overtake the car in front is the ‘Killbox zone’, a place where a lot of things can go wrong. Doubting yourself while overtaking is a bad move, you need to get out of that zone as quickly as possible.

Know your Braking

It is all about physics. Your braking distance is proportional to the square of your speed (Braking Distance ∝ Speed²). This means that if you double your speed, your braking distance quadruples and if you triple your speed, your braking distance increases nine fold. Keep this in mind next time you drive and accordingly, adjust your distance from the car in front. 

Do Not Clutch In

Engine braking is your friend. Be it a car or motorcycle, engaging the clutch while emergency braking is a bad move. If you press the clutch early, you disable engine braking and increase your braking distance. Avoid pressing the clutch while braking and only depress it at the last moment when the car is about to stall, something that needs a lot of practice. 

Keep Safe Distance

Keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front has many benefits. It gives you a better field of view and in case there is an obstruction ahead, you have more reaction time to take evasive maneuvers. Your distance should vary according to your speed. The higher the speed, the higher the distance.

Common Myths Regarding Road Accidents

There are a lot of myths surrounding car accidents that arise from generations of bad driving habits. Here are the most common ones:

Accidents happen only on highways

Accidents can happen anywhere, be it highway, city or rural areas. The probability of an accident depends on many factors like speed, distraction and loss of control. 

The lower the speed, the smaller the accident

Speed is not proportional to the severity of an accident. There are plenty of instances where fatal accidents have happened at crawling speeds. You need to be alert at all times irrespective of your surroundings. 

I am a safe driver, so I am safe from accidents

There are a lot of factors that can cause an accident besides driver’s negligence. Factors like road conditions, weather, mechanical failure or even one stupid driver. It is prudent to anticipate and drive defensively.

Drunk drivers cause the most accidents

While drunk driving is a cause of most accidents, overspeeding is the leading reason behind accidents in India. Always drive at 80 percent of your limit and you reduce your chances of being involved in an accident. 

I use this road frequently so am safe from accidents

Drivers are more likely to get into accidents closer to home. This is due to the driver letting down his guard and rushing to get home early. Be alert and patient at all times, whether close to home or far from it. 

Motorcycle riders cause the most accidents

Most accidents between car and motorcycle riders happen because car drivers fail to notice the motorcycle. Situation awareness and mutual respect are the key to staying safe and keeping others safe. 

I can control my car well so overspeeding is fine

Always remember, you can speed up easily but slowing down in time is a lot harder. While you may be a good driver, it is impossible to predict what may happen while driving. If you are speeding at 100 kmph and suddenly a pedestrian crosses the road, you won’t be able to reduce your braking distance. While it is easy to get carried away, keep your speed in check. 

I take calls on Bluetooth while driving so I am safe

Whether you take calls on your phone or on Bluetooth while driving, both are equally distracting. A few seconds of distraction can have fatal consequences. Always stop on the side of the road to take calls. 

Conclusion

Driving on the road is a responsibility. You are responsible for your own safety, and of those who share the road with you. Defensive driving is key to a safer drive. The leading causes of road accidents are overspeeding, wrong side driving and drunk driving. Avoiding these significantly reduces the likelihood of road accidents.. Being alert and anticipating the movement of other drivers helps keep you safe.