Safely on the road: how to avoid accidents in traffic
Road accidents are still among the top 10 causes of death worldwide. But the numbers are steadily falling. This has been made possible by modern safety systems that protect us from accidents. But the driver also plays a crucial role when it comes to avoiding accidents. Learn what you can do as a driver, how technical innovations are making our cars increasingly safer and why regular maintenance is obligatory for cars.
10 tips you should know as a driver
Drivers have an important role to play in traffic. This is because a lot of accidents can be avoided if they observe a few simple rules.
- Only get into a car if you are physically and mentally fit. Fatigue, alcohol but also the taking of certain medication are taboo. Medication to combat a simple cold can often restrict your fitness to drive.
- Are you travelling with children? Make sure that the child locks are activated on the doors and check that the children are wearing their safety belts and respectively do not undo these on their own.
- Securing loads properly is the name of the game – after all, even the smallest of items can quickly become a deadly missile after braking sharply.
- The safest way to transport animals is in sturdy transport boxes that are firmly fixed in the boot. Do you want to keep your pet as close to you as possible? Dogs are also allowed on the rear seat if special safety harness and seat belts are worn.
- Take regular breaks during longer journeys. This increases your powers of concentration.
- Switch your hazard warning lights on in traffic jams and keep at least three vehicle lengths distance from the car in front at the end of a traffic jam to avoid rear-end collisions. This leaves enough space to the car in front should someone run into the back of your car.
- Do not let yourself be distracted! If your mobile phone rings while driving, use a hands-free system to answer it if you must. Incidentally: entries in your sat-nav system are taboo as well!
- Drive foresightedly, adjust your speed to the weather conditions and maintain a sufficiently safe distance from the car in front.
- An emergency corridor can help save lives in an emergency. So remember to always keep the middle lane free for emergency vehicles.
- A tip to finish with: why not attend a driver safety course! You will then know how to react in tricky situations.
Roadworthiness - regular checks are the name of the game
You have to stop for fuel? If so, take the opportunity to perform a quick check of your car. Start with the lights. You yourself may not notice a faulty brake light or a malfunctioning headlight whilst driving, which makes it all the more important to check these at regular intervals.
In addition, you should also check the oil and other liquid levels regularly as well as your tyres. Pay attention to the general condition of tyres and the depth of their tread. Winter tyres, for example, have a deeper tread than summer tyres to give them more grip on snow and ice.
As you can see, a few simple tips can help keep you safe until your next service appointment!
Electronic aids for greater safety
Cars have never been safer than they are today. Various electronic aids help out here: from anti-lock braking systems (ABS), that are already a standard feature, intelligent adaptive cruise control (ACC), right through to lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems or modern emergency call systems.
Learn more about assistance systems and safety in our white paper “Future of Safety” (only available in English).