At Highway Bakkie Hire, we think that it is a sad reality that South Africa has an unacceptably high rate of road fatalities. What makes the situation even worse is that most of the incidents that take lives or cause serious injuries on our roads are entirely avoidable.
Offensive or unconscious driving practices are behind most of these senseless tragedies, meaning they can be avoided simply by making a habit of defensive driving. Keep reading the blog that we have put together with a list of eight essential defensive driving habits that will protect your life, as well as your passengers’ and those of other road users.
Remember how hyper-alert you were when you were first learning to drive? You were completely aware of every one of your own movements, as well as those of all the vehicles around you. Then, at some stage, as we develop the habit of driving, we take the attitude that driving is an automatic action that we can do with only half our attention – while texting or putting on make-up or chatting to someone in the backseat. This is the main habit you need to break to be a safe, defensive driver. When you are behind the wheel, give the act of driving your full attention. Everything else can wait until you reach your destination.
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Forget about who has right of way. Yield regardless. Even when it is clear that you have right of way, there is no guarantee that other motorists know that. So yield by default – be patient and courteous and pay the extra few seconds it costs you. Your life is worth it.
Just as you need to remain fully present and alert, so you also need to drive with the assumption that nobody else is to be trusted. You don’t know what is going through someone else’s mind, you don’t know if they’re sober or inebriated, you don’t know whether they’ve seen you or not. You have no guarantee that they really are turning just because they’re indicating. So, just to be safe, assume that nobody else on the road is to be trusted. Trust only yourself and follow your own observations and instincts.
Where does the fascination with speed come from? It seems to be part impatience and part machismo! Either way, speed is not necessary, nor should it be desirable. Speed won’t get you where you’re going much faster – and it may not get you there at all. Rather observe the speed limit.
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Intersections are dangerous, especially when people take chances. The worst habit is the widespread one of accelerating to get through an orange traffic light. This leads to many accidents. Rather slow down slightly as you approach an intersection so you can come to a complete stop as the light changes through orange to red.
Always indicate your intention to turn. It’s your only way of letting other drivers know where you’re planning to go. By the same token, be conscious of your indicator. Make sure you haven’t left it on by mistake, that you are indicating the wrong way, or that you don’t indicate to soon or too late. Observe drivers around you as you indicate.
In the event of heavy rains and winds, which are very likely in various parts of the country during the summer months – and in the Western Cape in winter – slow down, drive comfortably and carefully and stop if you need to. You may think you have a full grasp on your vehicle and what ‘s ahead of you. However, tyres failing to grip on wet roads, or broken brake lights on the vehicle in front of you in a fog, could mean serious injury or death.
Driving instructors constantly press the issue of the following distance – and with good reason. We would take it further than that and say that you need to create sufficient space ALL the way around your car – front, back and on every side. You need room to move away from any potential risk, as well as stopping space.
Driving can be an enjoyable experience, provided road users can relax, follow the rules and maintain a defensive driving approach. Contact us for further help improving your driving experience with your next rental car.