AHIS Road safety project Student Council THINK!

Transcription

1 AHIS Road safety project Student Council 2013 THINK!

2 Today, we drive safer cars on safer roads; decades of advertisements and public information campaigns have made most of us safer drivers. Improvements in technology will continue to help bring the number of accidents down, but the bottom line remains that most car accidents are the result of human error. The best way to reduce the risk of being involved in an accident is to practice safe driving behaviors. Whether you're just learning to drive or you've been behind the wheel for decades, it's a good idea to review some basic rules for safe driving.

3 Driver safety Give me some ideas of what you think is driving safely

4 Seat belts Always wear a seatbelt Evidence shows that up to 300 lives would Evidence shows that up to 300 lives would almost certainly have been saved in 2007 if all car occupants had been wearing a seatbelt. That's roughly one life a day.

5 The facts Drivers and passengers aged have the lowest seatbelt-wearing rates combined with the highest accident rate In 2009, of the 1,059 car occupants killed in crashes, 21% were not wearing a seatbelt (70/100 drivers in Bahrain do not wear seatbelts) There is evidence that people are less likely to use seatbelts on short or familiar journeys - this puts them at serious risk of injury in a crash

6 THINK! Advice Always wear a seatbelt. In a crash you re twice as likely to die if you don t. Not wearing a seatbelt can be a fatal decision even on short, familiar journeys and at low speeds. Wear your seatbelt correctly so it can offer you the best possible protection in a crash. WEAR SEATBELTS IT S THE LAW!

7 Wearing your seat belt correctly To protect you in a crash, your seat belt needs to be adjusted so that: it sits as close to your body as possible, without any slack or twisting in the straps the shoulder belt lies across your chest and over your shoulder, away from your neck the lap belt goes as low as possible from hip bone to hip bone - not across your stomach If your seat belt is uncomfortable, check the vehicle manufacturer's advice about how to adjust it. Don't use padding, cushions or mats. Adjust your head rest when adjusting your seat belt Make sure you also adjust the head rests in the front and back seats to prevent a whiplash injury in a crash. The top of the head rest should be level with the top of your ears and as close as possible to your head.

8 Incorrect way

9 Correct way during pregnancy

10 Mobile phones Using any mobile phone when driving is dangerous Using a mobile phone, sat nav or any similar Using a mobile phone, sat nav or any similar device whilst driving means that the driver s attention is distracted from the road.

11 The facts You re four times more likely to crash if you use a mobile phone while driving Reaction times for drivers using a phone are around 50% slower than normal driving Even careful drivers can be distracted by a call or text and a split-second lapse in concentration could result in a crash If you're caught using a hand-held mobile phone or similar device while driving or riding, you can expect to get an automatic fixed penalty notice. This means you'll get three penalty points on your driving licence and have to pay a fine of BD35.

12 THINK! Advice Don't make or answer calls when you're driving All phone calls distract drivers' attention from the road. It's illegal to use a hand-held mobile when driving on the road even if you've stopped at traffic lights or are stuck in a traffic jam or are in a car park All these situations are covered by the legal definition of 'driving on the road'. Park safely before using your mobile phone Do not park on the hard shoulder of the motorway. Don't call other people when they're driving If you call someone and they tell you they are driving, ask them to call you back when they have parked up safely. SWITCH OFF!

13 Speed The limit is there for a reason The difference of a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death. The faster someone is driving, the less time they have to stop if something unexpected happens. If you kill someone while speeding, you will have to live with the long-term emotional consequences. Speed limits are there for a reason.

14 The facts Speed is one of the main factors in fatal road accidents In 2009, 4,187 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes where speed was a factor The risk of death is approximately four times higher when a pedestrian is hit at 40mph than at 30mph

15 THINK! Advice Drive to suit the conditions of the road In some road conditions, even driving at the speed limit could be too fast. Factors that affect road conditions include fog, rain and traffic flow. The national speed limit is not a target speed. Driving too fast for the conditions is bad driving Driving too close to the car in front, undertaking and failing to signal are widely accepted as examples of bad driving. However, some drivers fail to accept that driving too fast is also poor driving despite the fact that this is a contributory factor in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries every year. Consider the consequences of causing an accident due to driving at excessive speed If you cause an accident you will have to live with the emotional consequences of deaths or injuries caused to others. Don t assume it s safe to break the speed limit on rural roads because there is less traffic or an open road ahead Be aware that there may be unexpected hazards, such as blind bends, vehicles coming out of junctions and animals on the road. BE SAFE!

16 Fatigue Don't drive tired Studies have shown that drivers don t fall asleep without warning. Drivers who fall asleep at the wheel have often tried to fight off drowsiness by opening a window, or by turning up the radio. This doesn't work for long.

17 The facts Research suggests that almost 20% of accidents on major roads are sleep-related Sleep-related accidents are more likely than others to result in a fatality or serious injury Peak times for accidents are in the early hours and after lunch About 40% of sleep-related accidents involve commercial vehicles Men under 30 have the highest risk of falling asleep at the wheel

18 THINK! Advice Plan your journey to include a 15-minute break every two hours. Don't start a long trip if you're already tired. Remember the risks if you have to get up unusually early to start a long drive. Try to avoid long trips between midnight and 6am when you're likely to feel sleepy anyway. If you start to feel sleepy, find a safe place to stop - not the hardshoulder of a motorway. Drink two cups of coffee or a high-caffeine drink and have a rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow time for the caffeine to kick in. Remember, the only real cure for sleepiness is proper sleep. A caffeine drink or a nap is a short-term solution that will only allow you to keep driving for a short time. Don't drive tired

19 Drink driving It's not worth the risk In 2010, 250 people died due to drink driving. By drinking and driving, you risk your life and those of your passengers and others on the road. Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. You risk a fine of up to BD3,000, a minimum 12-month driving ban, prison and a criminal record.

20 The facts 14% of road fatalities in 2010 were caused by drink driving A drink drive conviction can result in job loss, strain on personal relationships and higher insurance costs Tolerance to alcohol depends on a combination of factors: weight, age, gender, stress and recent food consumption The best way to remain safe is not to drink and drive

21 THINK! Advice Time is the only way to get alcohol out of your system You could be over the legal limit many hours after your last drink, even if it's the 'morning after'. Sleep, coffee and cold showers don't help to sober you up. There is no excuse for drink driving "I can handle my drink." Alcohol affects everybody's driving for the worse. It creates a feeling of overconfidence, makes judging distance and speed more difficult and slows your reactions so it takes longer to stop. "I'm only going down the road." A large proportion of all drink drive crashes occur within three miles of the start of the journey. If you're planning to drink alcohol, plan how to get home without driving Options include agreeing on a designated driver, saving a taxi number to your phone, or finding out about public transport routes and times before you go out. Don't offer an alcoholic drink to someone you know is planning to drive Even if you're not driving, you can help reduce the number of people who are killed and injured every year by drink driving. Don't accept a lift from a driver you know has drunk alcohol DON T DRINK AND DRIVE

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23 Kids safety We all want the best for our children and to be safe while in the car. We want to teach them the right way by doing what we do. we don t find this while out and about in the car in Bahrain. We see kids jumping all over the car, parents driving with babies on their lap, kids hanging out of sunroofs and windows, kids in car seats that are not restrained, more kids than the legal seating requirement This is just a few shock horror sights we see while driving to and from school.

24 IS THIS SAFE?

25 Children need to wear seatbelts too Did you know there is a right way to do that?

26 This is incorrect

27 A booster seat

28 Final note Some other things to think about when driving. Don t let your vehicle move until everyone has fastened their seat belt Switch of your mobile phone Check your mirrors regularly while driving (You must have been taught this while you were learning) Be alert to what is going on around you Don t drive to fast, remember speed kills Avoid distractions Keep children restrained in a suitable child seat, this will also be less of a distraction to you Be careful in bad weather Don t follow too closely, remember the 2 second rule Practice defensive driving Keep your vehicle safe And above all else, BE SAFE!

29 THANK YOU FOR LISTENING