SAFE DRIVING -Essential Skills that Experienced
Drivers Use
(Author
is not responsible for any risks taken on account of this article, safe to say,
driving is dangerous and a driver must take responsibility for one’s safety and
develop his or her skills.)
Hi, I am not an expert at driving. That
is because there are many different types of driving skills. For example, I am
not a master at driving a military vehicle in a conflict zone. Or for that
matter, driving a police vehicle in a crime-related chase; or drifting in the
mountains of Japan racing for a prize; or driving an ambulance or fire-engine;
or chauffering a dignitary like the Prime Minister; or driving the long roads
across Siberia. But I am a tough civilian driver experienced in driving inter-city
routes, in familiar and strange cities, and in different countries. These are tips
and suggestions that I worked out because I was terrified when my daughter got
her driving license at 18. So, here it goes.
Fundamental Rules
of Road Safety
The FOUR fundamental rules of road
safety are Driver Alertness, Vehicle Visibility, Driving Predictability, and Vehicle
Reliability. I call this the AVDP. It is not just our own but that of the other
driver. The difference is that you can control and take measures to safeguard
your own AVDP.
When you are on the road, there are
safety issues on how you handle your car; as well as personal security issues
that comes with driving a car. Before using a vehicle, ensure that all you are
legally allowed to do so; and that you vehicle is road-worthy.
a. Valid
License – I do not have to tell you that you must
have a valid driving license on you at all times when you drive. Even if the
car is parked and not moving, to sit at the wheels, legally you need a driver’s
license. Except when a car is in a designated car park, a drunk in the driver’s
seat is considered in control of the car.
b. Road
Tax & Insurance – Your
insurance agent will often send you a reminder to renew the insurance and pay
your road-tax for the vehicle. Not doing so, makes you personally financially
liable for any accidents. And not paying your taxes can lead to your car being
confiscated by the authorities, if the authorities are kind. Otherwise, you
will be facing the magistrate.
c. Car Repair – Since most of us are not experts in
car maintenance, it is a good rule of thumb to have your car checked at an authorized
service provider of the car manufacturer. This has a number of hidden benefits,
namely, the parts changed are to manufacturer’s specification; check-ups are
according to schedule; and a record is kept that will give you better value of
the car. There are many things we do not always think of that gets checked at
the authorized service provider such as the (1) battery; (2) the brakes; (3)
the air-conditioner; (4) the radiator; (5) the gears; and (6) all those mysterious
parts under the bonnet.
d. Car Tires – This is something you have to do
yourself. Apart from lowering your mileage, low tire pressure or uneven tire
pressures can lead to other costly problems by putting stress on the wheel
bearings. Find out how regularly you should check your tire for pressure and
wear; and wheel balance and alignment.
Some Other Legalities
·
A car is a private space, and a
police or any lawful authority cannot enter it without lawful reason. That is
why you are always asked to come out of the vehicle, or hand over your
documents out of the windows.
·
You cannot allow a minor aged
16 or below to fill up your vehicle. It is an offense for a minor to handle the
fuel pumps.
·
It is not only very stupid but
an offense to speak or text or listen to music on your hand-phone at the petrol
station.
·
It is definitely
self-endangerment when you drive and have a heated argument; eat burgers or
food that drops and drips; cry behind the wheels; do your lipstick, or nail
polish; or honk or hit the steering wheels in anger.
·
You are breaking the law if you
talk or text on the phone; show fingers at other drivers; drive under influence
of alcohol; or drive erratically.
I. SAFETY ISSUES
ON THE ROAD
1.
Mental Attitude on the Road
·
Drive predictably. Be
conscientious of others – motorists and pedestrians.
·
Ensure your vehicle is
road-worthy and in good repair at all times. Regularly checked for engine oils,
leaks, battery, air-pressure, and those sort of routine stuff that is done at a
certified service station.
·
Remember that vehicles are not
automatons – they are driven by people.
·
Do not expect other drivers to
give way just because you are in a hurry.
·
Do not lose your temper. Do not
show fingers. Do not shout. Anger gives you tunnel vision, and diminishes your
peripheral vision.
·
Do not push your physical and
mental limits on the road. Pull over to take a break: rest, nap, go to the
washroom, have a cuppa, much some food, or make a call and speak to someone.
·
Non-Professionals who brag
about their driving speeds, are just juvenile smugs.
·
Do not sweat it if you forgot
to pray before you drove this morning. God knows and loves you.
·
If you are late, you arrive
late – you do not compensate on the road by speeding.
·
Keep your car clean - a messy
or dirty car can affect your attitude on the road.
2.
Understand “Speed Lull”
·
When driving the brain
detects speed (a) by the relative movement of other cars and the landscape
outside the car; (b) by the sound of the engine and wind we hear while driving;
and (c) by looking at the speedometer. Not paying attention to these creates “speed
lull”.
·
You will need to acclimatize with newer and
more silent cars, especially the hybrid models. The brain interprets less sound
as less speed.
·
The brain also interprets less movement with
less speed. So motorists on a boring road tend to underestimate his speed, and
as a result speed up.
·
On the highway, and especially if it is
raining or foggy, there is no advantage of ‘moving’ landscape to calibrate one’s
sense of speed, so motorists tend to focus on other cars nearby. If the
relative movement is small, there is a sense of diminished speed. It will look
as if one is crawling.
·
The extreme danger of this lull can be
realized when another motorist loses temporary control of his car; or an
obstacle on the road suddenly becomes visible and there is no time to avoid a
collision.
3.
Use of Rear View Mirror
·
Know who is driving up behind
you while you are on the road. Do not be startled by a vehicle in your rear. Spend
about 30-40% of your eye-contact with the road on rear-view mirrors and
side-mirrors.
4.
Blind spots of Your Vehicle
·
All vehicles have blind spots.
Learn about your blind spots by getting someone to move around your vehicle
while you track them from the driver’s seat. Change or repair the mirrors if
need be.
·
Beware of vehicles, objects, or
pedestrians in the blind-spots of your own vehicle.
5.
Six Blinks of the Turn Signals
·
Use of left and right signals,
are an important tool to communicate to other motorists. Using the signals
correctly can often be the only thing that can avoid an accident.
·
Always allow at least six blinks
for the other motorists to see your signals before you switch lane. This is
just a rule of thumb. Often the other motorist will give way sooner or later,
so act accordingly.
·
Turn your car slightly into the
direction you want to go and signal. This sends a cue to the oncoming motorist
to allow you to take “his” lane.
6.
When to Signal Right to Turn Left
·
It is a rule that you signal
left to turn left, and signal right to turn right. However, if you are turning
left into a very busy lane, your left signal is mostly visible only to the
motorist behind you, but hardly seen by the oncoming motorist in the busy lane on
your right that you are trying to turn into. So here you have a situation where
you have to signal right to indicate that you are entering a lane on your left.
7.
Flashing your Headlight
·
Make sure your headlight is of
the prescribed legal luminosity, otherwise you become a nuisance or even a
danger to others on the road. Psychologists may say that it is an indication of
an over-reaction to low self-esteem but that is just an opinion.
·
Ensure your low-beam is not
fixed too high that it blinds on-coming motorists.
·
DO NOT flash your high-beam to
signal other motorists to get off “your” lane. It is really a very stupid thing
to do. See below on how to overtake.
·
When driving in crowded areas,
or near roadside eateries be conscious where your headlight is beaming.
8.
Hesitant Motorist (People) Ahead
·
When you see a car anticipating
to cross into your lane (usually near cross roads or their right turns) or
enter your lane (usually from their left turns), you may flash once, twice or
leave the high beam on, to indicate that you are unable to slow down.
·
Do this if there are not many
vehicles behind you. You may think the other motorist would wait for you to
pass before crossing or entering your lane, and it certainly is safer, but many
motorist would like to “better you” … it is a kiasu attitude universal among unthinking drivers and pedestrians.
·
If you want to give way, slow
down, do not flash. Slow down here means dropping your speed to at least 20km/h
less than your current speed.
·
Definitely slow down, and even
bring your car to a stop if you the find the hesitant vehicle ahead of you is
not a motorist but motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians, lorries, ambulance,
military/police vehicle, large trucks, or dignitary vehicles.
9.
Use of Emergency Signals
·
Use Emergency Signals to
indicate that your vehicle is stationary in an otherwise fast moving street or
highway.
·
In the city, the Emergency
Signals and your headlights switched on conveys an emergency. If you see such
behaviour in towns or near hospitals, just give way.
10.
Giving Way
·
Always give way, if someone
signals to want your way.
·
Give way, especially if the
vehicle is a motorbike –you MUST signal before you switch lane.
·
Some motorists like to flash
their high-luminescent headlights, speed up to you in an aggressive way, or
even blare their horn at you. It is illegal but such irrational behaviour could
be due to lack of traffic intelligence, or lack of respect for others but to be
charitable, imagine that the motorist is rushing to the nearest toilet, or that
there may be a genuine emergency. What you ought to know is that the other
motorist is unpredictable and might overtake you on your left. So (i) DO NOT
get irritated but give way by switching your lane carefully; and (ii) ENSURE you
signal before you switch lane.
·
After giving way, do not try to
match the other motorist’s speed. It may be interpreted as aggression; or
invitation to race.
11.
Merging
·
There are two types of merging into traffic. One is to allow one car to
go ahead of you and then signal to move in behind that vehicle. Some drivers do
not understand this and behave like Kiasu who forces the car inconsiderately
without giving way to anyone.
·
Beware of long vehicles who needs more space to turn and merge into the oncoming
traffic; or smaller vehicles like motorbikes; or anyone who might be in your
car blind spot.
12.
How to overtake
·
The opposite of tail-gating is
road-hogging. The reasons are varied and again it is not for you to find out
what sort of emergency is forcing someone to drive slowly on a fast lane. Do
not flash your headlights, honk, or gesticulate at the other motorist.
·
If it is the right-most lane,
signal right, DO NOT flash your headlight. Signaling right is the most polite way
to tell the other motorist to give way.
·
If the motorist is not
responding, drop speed and distance yourself from the motorist, switch lane and
carefully overtake.
·
Road hoggers tend to be old
people, confused, or emotionally distraught, or may be encountering problem
with their vehicle.
13.
Avoid Dash Board Clutter
·
Dashboard of newer cars are
designed to not allow anything to be placed there. Try to keep it that way. Things
on the dashboard can become dangerous projectiles when a moving vehicles
decelerates quickly.
·
Malaysians are religious and
tend to stick little fetishes for good luck, yet it is a dangerous distraction
when such objects fall off the dashboard while driving. You need to choose what
to do about this.
14.
Have a Clear Rear View
·
Avoid unnecessary stickers on
your front or rear view mirror.
·
Keep your side mirrors clean at
all times.
·
Have an even tint, not a graded
one.
·
Do not hang your sunglasses,
office door-tag or lucky charms on the rear-view mirror.
·
If you see a crack on your
front-view mirror, fix it soonest possible.
·
If you use water repellant
(e.g. RainX) that is good.
·
Keep your wiper blades in good
repair at all times.
·
Avoid putting boxes of tissue,
flower arrangements, pillows, your Pokemon collection on the back board.
15.
Vehicle at the Front
·
Always keep a reasonable
distance between you and the vehicle before you. One way is to ensure that the
car before you is completely visible – tire and all.
·
Remember you have to pay particular
attention to this distance especially if you are travelling at high speed.
·
If the car in front of you were
to slow down suddenly, or were to stop to turn left or right, do not
immediately swerve to your left or right lane. Slow down, stop if needed, stay
in your lane, check your rear view, signal and then switch lane.
16.
Drifters at the Curves
·
When negotiating corners we tend to drop speed and turn carefully to
remain in our own lanes. When it comes to right curve, there is always a
tendency for a motorist on your left lane to drift into your lane. And at a
left curve a motorist on your right lane tends to drift into your lane. Be
careful and give way.
17.
Tilting Heads
·
If you are driving your car at
less than 50km an hour, it does not matter much if you are sitting stiff and
holding your steering rigidly, though it is generally tiring to drive like that.
However, if you are moving at higher speeds, or taking corners and curves at
50km or more, then you need to relax your body. Sitting stiffly can be positively
dangerous.
·
If you are relaxed, you naturally
tend to pull your chin in a little and tilt your head to the left to steer your
vehicle to the left and tilt right to steer right. This will help your inner
ear to maintain a sense of balance. If you are sitting stiffly your brain will
panic and that will make you slam the brakes, or lose control of your vehicle.
·
Malaysian roads can sometimes
throw you unexpected sharp turns. If you panic and stiffen up, you will lose
control of your vehicle. However, if you understand the value of tilting your
head, you can better control your car. Practise and see.
18.
Noise & Direction
·
Outside noise is essential to ascertain
an accurate sense of direction and speed. A silent car will confuse your sense
of speed. To be able to hear outside noise also means you can hear if someone
is honking at you.
·
Therefore, do not wear
headphones or listen to the car audio devices so loudly that
it can cut out outside noise completely.
·
Wearing too much ear-rings,
esepcially all along the edge of the ear cusp can distort one’s sense of sound
direction, too.
19.
Rainy Days
·
It is common to encounter a storm when driving in Malaysia. Understand
that the traffic will slow down to about 50 – 60 km/hr on the fast lane.
·
You can encounter puddles that adds stress to you maneuverability and
forward speed.
·
If your wipers are defective it will affect the visibility outside. Water
repellents are actually a necessity for cars.
·
You can turn on your head-lights but not to a high beam. The fact others
do this can sometimes momentarily distract you.
·
If your car tires are not meant to deal with wet roads, it might just roll
onto the water and skid. The faster you travel the more likely for this to
happen. Do not think that just because the other cars can speed along, so can
you.
·
Even if you have a great car to travel, your greatest danger on a rainy
day is other vehicles.
·
Certain parts of the country are dangerous on rainy days due to narrow
roads, land slips, fallen trees and pot holes … all the more dangerous if you
are caught in such places at night. Exercise greater caution, or pull over
somewhere safe, or just check-in for the night before resuming your journey
under better conditions.
20.
Road-Sign Blindness
·
It is natural to be very alert driving down a new road. All the
signboards, road signs, lane-guides and alerts become very visible. Driving
down the same lane several times, makes the driver pay less attention to these
indicators, and eventually the brain edits them out completely. You drive by
registering optically but it has no meaning anymore. This is Road-Sign
Blindness. That is why you drive into a speed bump. At the northward bound exit
point to Ipoh on the North-South Expressway there are 23 signs telling “turn
here to go to Ipoh” but yet people miss it and end up in Kuala Kangsar 30km
away.
21.
Mood and Rhythms
·
How you drive depends on the
mood when you got behind the wheels. And that can make the difference between
an accident or safe driving.
·
If you have one or two near
misses, pull over and turn off the engine and rest. Settle down into a better
frame of mind. Pray if you are into prayers, have a cup of tea, chew a toffee
or just close your eyes for a while… do something to break the rhythm between
your mood and the traffic before you renew your driving.
22.
Eating and Drinking in the Car
·
Some people are so relaxed in
their car that they eat in in it. Even if you do not eat-and-drive it can have
dangerous consequences. Burghers and chicken are the worst sort of food to eat in
cars, they drip and drop debris everywhere. Food debris attract pests like
ants, bees, and cockroaches! Imagine a cockraoch crawling up your legs while
you are driving - that is not going to end well.
·
You know it is an offense to drink-and-drive,
meaning alcohol beyond a certain limit. But legally you can drink-and-drive hot
coffee, or tea and spill and splatter your way to trouble.
II. SECURITY ISSUES
1.
Drive Zones that are Predictably Unpredictable
·
Schools – School zones are
often carefully laid out and well alerted with signs but it is not always the
case in Malaysia. Nothing compares with children in the hands of adults but
many parents seem to allow their children to navigate heavy traffic crossing
roads or walk home totally unsupervised. The problem is compounded if the
children use their child-size bikes. More children are hurt cycling then
walking. Researchers also say that traffic accidents spike at the age of 7 –
these are kids in Standard One!.
·
Hospitals, Construction sites &
Military Sites – These three areas have a tendency to have heavy vehicles
demanding priority of way. Give in. Yield.
·
Watering Holes – If you are
driving in this area, it is likely a drunken driver may knock you, or a drunken
pedestrian may fall into your way. More drunk pedestrians are killed on the
road then drunk drivers. Therefore, if you are drunk, it is safer for a sober
friend to drive you home, or have that friend hail you a taxi, than to bravely
wave your hand and walk home.
·
Poor neighbourhood – If you are
driving through a poor neighbourhood you are not familiar with, especially at
night, you are asking for trouble. This is not a particular problem in Malaysia
but just the same, be wary of mischief.
·
Parking Lots – Parking lots are
often the hang-outs for mischief makers, encounters with whom can turn nasty
suddenly. Do not park your car in isolated corners of the parking lot in the
first place. Find out which parking lots offer security services. Be ready with
your keys before you even walk to the car.
·
Villages and Small Towns –
There is a tendency in rural parts for people to flout traffic rules,
motor-cycling recklessly, bicycles taking the road for granted, and stray
animals (chicken, goats, cows, pythons) on the road. The biggest danger due to
animals in Malaysian rural roads are buffalos on the road at night!
·
Mountains – Popular mountainous
roads are Grik-Jeli, Changkat Jering-Jelapang , Kampong Raja-Ipoh/Tapah
(Cameron Highland), Raub-Batang Kali (Genting Highland) routes. Regular users
tend to drive somewhat impatiently on these roads. The biggest danger on these
roads come from busses. If you are the occasional user of these roads, exercise
extra caution of other drivers.
2.
Getting Help
·
Most car insurers now provide 24-hour
tow-truck services. Have their phone numbers handy in the glove compartment. Do
not talk to or engage any other service companies. Note that you can call these
tow-truck services even if you need to change a flat tire.
·
Getting any sort of help in an
emergency situation may arise on the road. If you suspect that you are being
followed, you can drive into a Police Station, Fire Department, Emergency Unit
of Hospitals, or to a well-lit petrol stations. Other places where you may turn
to for help are places where the public gathers, namely in places of worship,
shopping malls, where the presence of people may deter a possible assailant.
Always alert the authorities soonest possible.
3.
Four Very Important Electronic Devices in your
Vehicle
·
Smart-Tag – Remember that
unless the toll lane says “Tunai Sahaja” you can use a Smart-Tag in that lane.
If you see a pile-up at the Smart-Tag lane go to the next lane even if it is
not a Smart-Tag lane.
·
GPS Devise – Learn how to
handle your on-board GPS device, or your externally installed one. Lock in
locations that are important, to log in quickly your destination. Do not log in
a GPS while driving, pull over first. If you are not using a GPS device to
locate an address, leave it on as it keeps track of your movement.
·
On-board video camera – Make
sure the on/off button is convenient. Always turn it on when you are stopped by
an authority or when you are witnessing something important on the road.
·
Hand phone – Your hand phone
should be used to get help. If you must use it while driving, use a hands-free
device, please.
4.
At Petrol Stations
·
Be careful of your valuables.
Lock the car before you go off to pay for fuel, pump air to your tires or dash
off to the toilet.
·
If you can help it avoid petrol
stations that are lonely or not well lit.
5.
Police Stops
·
Do not be afraid to stop at
police check-points.
·
Turn on your dashboard camera.
·
Give your driving license and
Mykad for inspection; and make a mental note of the PDRM or JPJ personnel’s
number and name. Write it down as quickly as you can manage. Do not flash a
camera at the police – they can be confrontational.
·
At all times, make sure the police
can see your hands on the steering wheels. Do not make sudden movements. Relax.
·
Always ask, “Minta maaf Encik,
apa kesalahan saya?” If they say you have broken a rule, just say, “Maaf,
Encik.” Do not offer any bribes, even if the police officer is hesitant to give
you a summon. If he asks for a reason for breaking the law, offer one politely.
Leave it at that. Say “Terima kasih” when he hands back your documents with or
without a summon. Do not show fear. Don’t be rude. Drive off slowly.
·
Some police officers may engage
you in small talk. He or she may want to know where are you from; where you are
heading; what is your business; where you are working; or what is in the boot? Do
not engage if you feel the enquiry is becoming a solicitation to unwarranted conversation.
Be silent but do not look distracted or fidget about. Use your smart phone to
record the conversation unobtrusively.
·
If you are being pulled over at
a lonely spot or unlit area, slow down but drive at a reasonable speed (50 – 60
km/h) to the nearest police station, hospital, fire-station or any public place
where there are people. Do not accelerate.
·
And please do not swear at the
police. That is the totally stupid thing to do.
6.
Accidents
·
When in a minor accident,
unless you have reason to fear for your life, do not leave the scene of accident
until you are sure the others in the minor accident are not injured, or have
been sent to the nearest hospital.
·
Always report the accident
immediately, though the law allows for reporting within 24 hours.
·
The Police will not consider
your case kindly if you do not report immediately. If there are going to be two
or more reports, the Police have a tendency to trust the first report more than
the later one.
·
If you have a dashboard camera,
turn it on.
·
If you have a camera or a smart
phone, take many pictures.
·
If you think the claims for the
damage on your vehicle is going to be too costly or time consuming or is going
to be less than the loss of the NCB, just settle the matter politely.
7.
Stopping to Help
·
It is very human to immediately
pull over to help, but it may not be the wisest thing to do.
·
If you see someone is in
apparent danger or there was an accident, and you could not pull over or were
afraid to pull over, do not feel bad. Note the spot, and get to the nearest
safest place to pull over and call 999.
·
If you see people walking along
stretches … especially if there are women and children, weigh the pros and cons
to decide to pull over, and where to pull over to help.
·
People walking on the highways
are by default not in a right frame of mind. They are often depressed and could
act irrationally.
8.
Dressing Right for Driving
·
Glasses – Scratchy or
ill-fitted glasses are a potential projectile in a deceleration and can pose a
threat to anyone in the car. It is also dangerous distraction when it requires
constant adjustment.
·
Belt – Some men like to wear a
tight belt trying to reduce the size of their girth. When seated in a car, the
girth needs an extra inch, and if the belt is not adjusted, it can give rise to
breathing difficulty leading to sleepiness. Sometimes, it can cause anxiety.
·
Shoes – Always wear shoes when
driving. Slippers have a tendency to get stuck in the car pedals.
·
Coat Hangers – If you are the type
who carries a shirt or coat in a hanger, ensure it does not become a flying
projectile. It should be secured fast, and not block the back view of the
driver.
9.
Packing an Emergency Kit for your Car
·
There are two personal emergency
kits you can pack in your car – one in your glove compartment, and another in
your hand-bag. If you do not carry a hand-bag, just keep a pouch in the car.
·
Other things to keep in a Kit –
a notebook, a ball-point pen, contact number of your insurance tow-truck, a
bottle of water, a snack bar, pepper-spray (oops! That is illegal), and a small
towel.
·
Other useful things people keep
in a car – umbrella, service record of the car, a change of clothing, shoes,
neck-rest, books, tissue paper, air-freshener, and liquid soap.
III. UNDERSTANDING ROAD PATHOLOGY
All road pathologies arise from maladjustment
of the individual to the reality on the road. It is important to understand
them in order to be safe. Cars are machines, meant to be driven by sane people
but the truth is that not all who get into the road are sane or rational. One
must understand and make allowance for it in order to survive this modern
world. Here are few known possibilities why people handle their cars in unsafe
ways.
1.
Road Rage/Bullying
It is the
most dangerous sort of pathology on the road. Road rage leads to road bullying,
and there are different stages to it:
a.
A crime is not committed if the road rager merely shouts insults at you.
He has communicated loudly, and is indicating that he was not well raised.
However, if he gestures at you, with or without an object to accompany the
gesturing, threatening violence to you personally or to your vehicle, is
different - a behaviour that has caused you to fear for your personal safety is
a crime. It goes without saying, that you on the other hand, do not return the
angry gestures at the road bully.
b.
If the driver then forces you to stop your vehicle by recklessly driving
into your lane, that is another crime. If he then proceeds to damage your car, he
has committed another crime. Your first concern is not to save your vehicle but
yourself by getting to a safe place as quickly as possible. If it is possible
to drive away, always do. Usually, you cannot stop this road rage running its
course. However, you can do something to prevent yourself being hurt.
c.
Stay quiet, and if possible discreetly record everything. Do not
aggravate the situation by getting into a shouting match, or physically
engaging the raging bully, or aggressively pointing your smart phone to record
the bully’s shenanigans. Call the police.
d.
If there is more than one person do not be alarmed, there may be someone
trying to calm the raging bully down. If the companions are rowdy or
inebriated, it is better to prepare yourself to flee. Call the police. It is
said that when confronted by a crowd of jeering bullies, just sitting down or
curling into a ball helps defuse the tension. I am not sure if this works.
2.
Lane Anxiety
Lane Anxiety
was first noticed when traffic jams began taking a toll on our time schedule,
so drivers wanting to be in the lane that crawls a little faster keep switching
lanes. This is accompanied by the same set of symptoms of anxiety. It is
especially noticeable at a pile-up at toll gates. This need to rush also occurs when someone is signaling
to move into their lane. This is often interpreted as a refusal to yield but
really is an anxiety issue.
3.
Traffic Lights Anxiety
It is
common to see someone rushing the traffic lights especially when it has turned
amber. Another form of it is when the road is relatively free and the traffic
light is green, motorist tend to speed up not realizing that others might be
illicitly taking advantage of the low traffic. This is noticeable among
motorcyclists who become impatient at the red signals.
4.
Gold Medalist Anxiety
This is an especially dangerous sort of situation when the driver gets into an
angst when seeing a pedestrian trying to cross the road, he speeds up. The flip
side to this is that, though there are no vehicles behind a car, and a pedestrian
could wait for the car to move off before crossing the road, the pedestrian
will not. He will rush the car! Be wary of gold-medalist anxiety of pedestrians.
5.
Suicidal Driving
Certain people
drive their vehicle intentionally to cause an accident. And this sort of
behaviour is fueled by (a) manic depression; (b) poor anger management; and (c)
teen angst. There is nothing that can be done. Always give way when a young
person or a distraught person is driving aggressively.
6.
Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is characterized by
intermittent attention on the road. There is constant corrections to one’s
erratic driving. It is not any different from that of someone texting or making
a call while driving. Or a drunk driver may be just speeding in which case they
are suicidal. Rule of thumb: drive clear of this motorist.
7.
Lost Driving
Lost
drivers tend to drive slowly in an otherwise fast lane. In the city, often
drivers looking for a parking lot drive as if they are lost. Be a little
patient.
8.
Hurried Driving
Hurried
driving are people trying to compensate for their poor time management. They
will overtake on the left, jump several lanes to overtake, honk, flash, and
jerk their car in a heavy traffic. Hurried driving may have legitimate reasons
like rushing to the hospitals or in need to get to the toilet urgently.
9.
Distracted Driving
Distracted
driving is evidenced by a sudden and momentary loss of control of the car. The
causes of distractions are many.
·
Texting
·
Something or someone on the side of the road startling the drivers.
Sometimes advertisements do this.
·
Checking on the GPS constantly can become a distraction.
·
Dropping Projectiles - milk
bottle, coins, cigarette, phones, call cards, gods, babies, lip-sticks!
·
Sleepiness or drunkeness.
·
Spouse or a partner who is sitting beside you engaged in a heated
argument.
·
Friends who are wildly engaged in conversation, drunk, vomiting and generally
misbehaving.
·
Kids who are on a sugar-rush.
