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Photo © Batuhan Toker | Source: Dreamstime.com
Preparedness is key to dealing with road accidents, as well as other emergencies one might encounter on the road. Acquiring first aid training from a Brisbane organisation is a smart choice for any pedestrian or driver, especially because the city is one of the busiest in Queensland.
Another essential part of being prepared is being aware of the common causes of road accidents and following a few tips to avoid these situations. In this post, we’ll be tackling exactly that so you can make the roads of Queensland safer for you and other drivers and pedestrians.
1. Being Distracted
Everyone has a smartphone these days. This technological wonder is a powerful, complex computer reduced to a size that easily fits into our hands and pockets. As amazing as smartphones are, however, they’ve also made driving riskier. In fact, using a smartphone while driving is shown to increase the risk of crashing by as much as four times.
Drivers are prone to other distractions too, such as:
● Adjusting vehicle settings
● Eating or drinking
● Passenger-caused distraction
● Loud, distracting noise
How to avoid:
Staying completely focused while driving is the obvious solution to this problem. As tempting as it is to check your social media for notifications, it’s best to leave it for when you’ve made a full stop. Try to control the situation if the distraction is passenger-caused, and make sure to stick to lower speeds if the distraction is outside of your control.
2. Speeding
The reason why speeding causes so many road accidents is because fast cars are more difficult to manoeuvre around than slower ones. Also, the faster a car is, the harder it collides with other objects.
How to avoid:
Not everyone can be completely attentive while driving, and others may not be able to react quickly enough to you if you’re going fast. Try to control your speed and, again, completely focus on the road so you don’t collide with other cars that are going too fast.
3. Driver Fatigue
When the driver is lacking sleep or is driving during their normal sleeping hours, it’s common for them to feel fatigued. This, however, is also one of the major causes of road accidents in Queensland. Fatigue impairs the driver’s judgement, as well as reduces their reflexes and attention.
How to avoid:
Avoid driving while tired, if possible. If you feel that driving in your current condition isn’t safe, opt to take a train, taxi, or bus going home. Also, if you’re doing long-distance driving and with someone else who can drive and has a driver’s license, ask to take turns on the wheel so the other can rest.
4. Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol is another major cause of road accidents because they affect people’s ability to react and process certain stimuli. Coordination, reflexes, concentration, and the ability to make proper judgement are all impaired.
How to avoid:
According to Australian law, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) must not exceed 0.05% for regular drivers. Learners and provisional drivers, however, must have a BAC of 0.00. To reduce the chances of road accidents because of alcohol consumption, exercise responsible drinking or let someone else you know who is fit to drive take the wheel.
The Takeaway
Driving safely should always be the main concern for anyone who’s behind the wheel of a vehicle. This can be easily done by following the tips shared above on how to reduce road accidents. Of course, it’s not just drivers who should exercise caution on the road. Both pedestrians and drivers are expected to follow basic safety measures so no one gets hurt.