Where What When

Safety First in the Car

We all know how important safety is to ourselves and our children. We all want to be safe. Yet we may not know some of the details that constitute safety. And sometimes we are overcome by other “urgent” considerations, like getting to the chupa on time.

In compiling this list, my hope is to be of help. Some facts you may not be aware of, and others are simply reminders to apply what you already know. First a disclaimer: The information presented below comes from personal experiences, observations, and supposedly reliable data. However, I cannot vouch 100 percent for all the information. Readers with comments should please email them to me at OTTO54@juno.com

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1) Always wear seat belts – no excuses. (This applies even to pregnant women.) Children should always be transported in their age/weight appropriate restraint. This is the most important of all the items in this article. (See figure.)

2) Airbags save lives but must be used with seat belts. Children and smaller adults should sit in the back seat or push the passenger car seat all the way back, so as not to be injured by the airbag.

3) When in a rush – slow your driving.

4) Never drive with loose objects on the rear window shelf. They become missiles if you stop short.

5) Always drive being aware of the cars around you. That way, if you have to make an emergency maneuver, you will know what space is available.

6) When pulling in front of a car in the lane to your right or left, make sure you can see both headlights of that car in your mirrors.

7) Be generous with the use of your headlights. Canada, for example, requires headlights on all the time.

8) Always keep a distance between your car and the one in front of you of about 1 car length for every 10 MPH (more in wet weather).

9) Don’t drink alcohol and drive.

10) Always lock car doors when driving and when parked.

11) For those who have remote door openers, use the inside light to check that no one is hiding in the back seat.

12) Be careful driving on wet leaves – they can cause skids.

13) After driving through water, gently apply brakes to dry them. In general, driving through deep water is dangerous.

14) Always signal when changing lanes, even if you think no one else is around.

15) All else being equal, the larger the car the more protection afforded in a crash.

16) Using a cell phone while driving is a controversial issue. It seems that talking on the cell phone per se is not the safety issue but rather the distraction of holding a conversation with someone you don’t see. No one has ever suggested that the driver not converse with passengers in the car. If you are involved in a serious discussion on your cell phone, pull over to a safe place.

17) Other driver distractions should be avoided. I believe, for example, that it is illegal to have a TV in the front of the car. I cannot understand why GPS displays, right in front of the driver are permitted.

18) Before driving, clean off all snow and ice and make sure your windows are clean. In addition, take a moment to clean off (and wash) your headlights and taillights.

19) Periodically, check to see that all your lights are working. Face into and back up to a glass storefront to check the front and back of your car on your own, or have someone else observe.

20) On occasion, a child is left in a car on purpose or otherwise. DON’T. NASA has developed a “child presence sensor” that will sound if you leave a car without the child strapped in the back seat. However, it is not yet available commercially. Instead, I suggest that every time you strap a child into the car, you attach a teddy bear (or similar object) to your ignition key. That way you will have a positive reminder of the presence of a child. When you take the child out, put the teddy bear in the child’s place.

21) Hydroplaning, which usually occurs only at speeds above 50 MPH, is the phenomena of the car riding on a film of water instead of the road pavement. From personal experience, I can say it is a terrifying experience. All you can do is ease off the accelerator, steer straight, and don’t touch the brakes. It is best to try to avoid this situation by slowing down in wet weather and, and trying to drive in the tracks of the car in front of you. It is important to check that your tires have adequate tread depth (you should not be able to see the top of Lincoln’s head on a penny inserted into the tire tread) and are properly inflated. The rule with cars and water is “When in doubt, reroute.”

22) Recently, there have been some anecdotal data against using cruise control in the rain. The theory is that the car will try to accelerate when it is gliding on a film of water. When the car finally touches the pavement, the wheels are turning too fast and will lead to uncontrolled motion. Real data is hard to come by, so I would suggest, at least for the moment, to not use cruise control when the road is wet.

23) Only discharge carpool children from the curb side of the vehicle. I cannot begin to count the number of times I have seen children getting out on the street side. To do so is an invitation to a tragedy. (And please don’t honk the carpool horn early on any morning!)

24) If you see a ball roll out from between two cars on a residential street, be careful. A child might follow.

25) If you see a deer in front of you on the road, stay in your lane, brake as hard as you can, and pray. Our cars and drivers are not suited for quick maneuvers at high speeds. Be aware that if you see one deer there is a good chance that more are close by.

26) Teen age drivers can be a risk. The general philosophy should be to gradually phase them into more independence and more adverse conditions. Start them in good weather, during the day, with another adult and gradually eliminate these restrictions. And remember that adults have to set proper driving examples for their children. They are always watching.

27) Fifteen-passenger vans appear to be involved in a disproportionate number of serious accidents, especially at speeds above 50 MPH and loaded to more than half their capacity. To minimize risks in these vehicles, all occupants should be properly restrained. The tires should have adequate tread, and it is very important that they be inflated to the manufacturer’s specification. In addition, avoid roof top carriers. The center of gravity of these vans is already high, and they are prone to roll over.

28) SUV’s also have relatively high centers of gravity and they too are prone to rollovers.

29) In general ABS (antilock braking systems) will not yield a shorter stopping distance. (It could even be longer.) Instead, ABS will allow you to steer in poor traction conditions. In a skid, gently steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. With ABS, keep a constant foot pressure on the brake pedal. The onboard computer will do the “pumping” recommended before the advent of ABS.

30) School buses, and buses in general, are a safety concern. Because of monetary issues, at the moment, no seat belts are required. Hopefully this will change.

31) For rear-wheel drive vehicles that are driven lightly loaded, put a few 50 pound bags of sand over the rear wheels. Do not put solid objects like cinder blocks.

32) Older drivers should go through an honest self-evaluation. Medications, vision acuity, and response time may become issues.

33) Never leave anything of value visible inside the car.

34) If you are prone to thinking of things to write down as you drive, keep a small tape recorder handy.

35) When driving, use both hands, and try to keep your hands at the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock positions.

36) A significant number of accidents occur when drivers try to reach for an object out of their immediate reach while driving. If you need to retrieve such an item, pull over.

37) If your car should become disabled while driving on the highway, pull over as far as you can onto the shoulder, raise the hood, and put on the emergency flashers. Circumstances permitting, all travelers should get out of the vehicle and move away from the car and the active roadway.

38) Driving in fog is extremely dangerous. Slow down and follow the white lane markings. Pulling off to the shoulder and turning on your flashers is high risk, because someone behind you will try to follow you and crash into your rear. Only use your low headlight beams when driving in a fog. The best suggestion is to get off at the nearest exit, find a safe place, and wait till the fog lifts.

39) I used to think that if it’s late at night with few cars on the dark road, it is safest to center your vehicle on the white road markings instead of trying to stay in lane. Recently, I was stopped by the police while driving in this mode and checked for intoxication (which I wasn’t). While I still think this method of driving is advisable, you may be stopped by the authorities.

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Confession: I wish I could say that I faithfully adhere to every item mentioned above. Out of potential self-embarrassment, I will certainly try to be more careful. The main point is to be aware of these issues and use proper judgment.

Conclusion: Driving a vehicle is an activity that should not be taken lightly. On the other hand, driving under stress is also not recommended. Instead, I suggest you read, understand, and become aware of the above items and slowly work them into your routine. Have a safe trip!

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Article List - February 2007