Road safety tips Holidays and weekends see a tragic number of road traffic fatalities. The risk increases with the large number of vehicles traveling in these periods Drivers should carry out periodic vehicle checks, especially before travelling, on the condition of the brakes, suspension, wheel alignment, tires, spare tire, fuel injection, battery, cooling system liquid, headlights and taillights. In a collision, high speed increases the seriousness of the accident. Speed limits must be respected. At high speed drivers need a greater breaking distance from the car in front. In rain, this distance (and care taken) must be doubled. Adults must be aware of safety devices appropriate to children’s age, weight and height, commonly known as child safety seats. In 2008, the National Traffic Council (CONTRAN) established the mandatory use of such devices for children up to seven and a half years old travelling in automobiles. Failure to follow this rule is a very serious traffic offense. Seatbelts are essential to the safety of a vehicle’s occupants, as they reduce the risk of fatalities in traffic accidents. As required by the traffic rules, they must be used by all vehicle occupants, including rear seat passengers. According to a survey conducted by the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers wearing seatbelts have a fatality risk rate reduced by 45% as compared with drivers who do not wear them. CESVI BRASIL estimates that a 10% increase in the seatbelt use would save 1,600 lives a year in Brazil. Maintaining the minimum safe distance from the vehicle in front is essential to the prevention of road accidents. The three-second rule helps drivers to calculate this distance.When the vehicle ahead passes a marker, such as a post or tree, drivers should begin to count to three. If their vehicle passes the same marker before ‘3,’ it means that the driver has exceeded the minimum safe distance. This safe distance is longer on slopes and wet roads. Some highways have road markings indicating the safe distance. Besides being illegal, driving under the influence of alcohol endangers the lives of everyone traveling on the road. Tired drivers are also a danger. If drivers are taking medication, they must check any restrictions on driving in advance. Never overtake on the right because the risk of serious accident is higher. The use of a turn signal before overtaking is extremely important. For example, if a truck driver does not realize that a vehicle is overtaking him, the truck could push the vehicle off the road. Objects and luggage must be transported in the trunk. In the event of a collision, loose objects can shift inside the vehicle and their weight be multiplied by 50 times or more, depending on the speed. Care should be taken when the vehicle is carrying a greater load (passengers and luggage) than usual. Under these conditions, a greater breaking and overtaking distance is required (less acceleration), and turns need to be made at a lower speed. The survival rate for a person being run over at a speed in excess of 80 km per hour is practically zero. It is important to stay off the hard shoulder and reduce speed in areas where pedestrians cross. Preventive maintenance 1 High speed 2 Alcohol and fatigue 6 Overtaking 7 Luggage 8 Pedestrians 9 Children in the car 3 Seatbelts 4 Safe distance 5 24 CESVI 2011 ABLA YEARBOOK
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