FOLLOWING DISTANCE

An easy way to calculate your following distance will be as follows:

When the vehicle directly ahead of you passes a fixed point eg light pole or fire hydrant, say to yourself: 1001, 1002 and you should be able to complete these two phrases before you reach that same point with your car.

How about doing a quick check to see that your following distance is sufficient.

In other words, if the car in front of you stops dead - CAN YOU STOP IN TIME.

If fearless Fred pushes in front of you and occupies your following distance - don’t panic or get annoyed. Decelerate slightly for a few seconds only and regain your following distance. It’s as easy as that.

Did you know that a safe following distance of at least two seconds gives you enough space and time to react in the case of emergency?

And if you are driving on a public road and you happen to be behind a large truck or a bus, please pull back a little bit, increase your following distance. That will give you more visibility around the side of the large vehicle in front of you.

STOPPED DISTANCE

Should you be stopped behind another vehicle at an intersection, make sure that you can see both his tyres touching the ground without having to stretch your neck when you look over your bonnet.

The advantage of keeping a safe stopped distance is important. Simply - it gives you enough space to manoeuvre to the next lane in one easy forward manoeuvre in the case of emergency.

Just a quick question for you, Can you move to the next lane in an easy forward manoeuvre if a problem arose at this stage, or are you to close too the vehicle in front of you?

COURSE

An easy way to avoid traffic jams on the road is to preplan your route to your destination.

For more information on the problem area - stay tuned to East Coast Radio.

Remember to keep a safety margin between yourself and parked vehicles. You never know who is going to open a door.

Remember please, to keep left when approaching blind rises and blind corners. You never know who is coming onto your side from the front.

Choose the correct lane for negotiating left or right corners. This will ensure that you are not hindered from turning at the required intersection.

Keep a beady eye out for white arrows painted on the road surface. They tell you which way you have to turn at the next intersection. If this is not the direction you want to travel, then now will be the time to change lanes.

MIRRORS

Remember the reason we check mirrors is to keep us up to date with what is happening around us. So check them frequently.

Make sure that you check your mirrors before changing lanes. It is important to know who is coming up behind you.

If you have stop for a red traffic light or stop sign, how do you know it is safe to do so? The answer is easy - check your mirrors.

Observe other vehicles around you when driving in traffic. Use your rear view and side mirrors - that is what they are there for.

BLIND SPOTS

Remember the blind spot is on the side of your vehicle approximately two metres away form your back door. You don’t know who might be in the blind spot area when you want to change lanes, so make sure that you check before changing lanes.

To do a blind spot check is simple - don’t move your shoulders, just simply turn your head and glance over your shoulder.

Remember, if you are in someone else’s blind spot, it means he cannot see you. Either accelerate and go past him, or slow down and fall behind him.

Don’t drive next to another vehicles backdoor, because you will then be in his blind spot. Rather accelerate slightly and go past him or decelerate slightly and fall back where he can see you clearly.

SIGNALS

And finally, remember that when you wish to change a lane or wish to change direction, that you should use your indicators to show the other people around you what your intentions are. They can then preplan their reaction and possibly avoid a collision.

And remember, when you approach Y junctions or any situation where you have a choice of going a little to the left or the right, that you should indicate your intentions. Other people will then know what your manoeuvre is going to be and be able to react accordingly.

If you are in the process of negotiating a traffic circle, how about indicating your intention to exit from the traffic circle, that is by indicating left, or your intentions to stay in the traffic circle by indicating to the right. At least people in front of you and behind you will know exactly what you are going to do.

And remember that if you are going to be changing lanes, or if you are going to be turning left or right at the next intersection, that you should use your indicators when you do so to make it a safe manoeuvre.

Always signal your intentions. Whatever your intentions, use your indicator or brake lights to warn other road users well in advance as to what you are about to do.

All drivers are human and we all make mistakes, so leave a margin for error. Allow yourself extra room to take evasive action, if need be.

BRAKES

And if you want to save a bit of money and a bit of wear and tear on your braking system and tyres, then brake gently when you arrive at a stop sign or a red traffic light.

And don’t forget to brake gently please on loose gravel or wet roads, otherwise your car could be involved in a skid and of course, a collision could result.

And remember please do not brake on corners or bends. Rather brake on the straight sections before entering corners or bends -it’s a lot safer.

Let’s say that you have lost the use of your foot brake-it’s not working anymore. What we would like you to do is to try and pump the brakes as fast as you can. This could build up enough pressure and you could regain your braking ability for a short while. But if that has failed, use your handbrake. Put your left hand on the handbrake, keep the button in and pump with the handbrake, making sure that you don’t lock the back wheels. With the right hand you keep control of the vehicle as far as steering is controlled. Do not switch off engine until you have come to a complete stop. On vehicles with power brakes, the brakes will not function properly and the steering column may lock with the ignition turned off.

If steering fails completely, use the Hooter and emergency lights.

Lift foot from accelerator.

Do not brake. This can cause front wheels to turn sharply. Use handbrake instead - pull it up in a pumping action, with the button held in.

Stop as quickly and safely as you can.

Shift to a lower gear.

Power steering failure is the most common, happening when the engine dies or power steering fluid in the system is too low. The steering mechanism still works, but you must exert more effort to steer.

When you next check your vehicle, please make sure your brake lights are clean otherwise the person behind you might not see that you are stopping.

Finally, if you have seen a problem way ahead of you and you notice that the person behind you is coming up fairly quickly, then tap your brake lights to draw attention to the fact that you are going to be slowing down.

GEARS

Remember please to select a lower gear for steep down hills. It will assist your brakes and you, in keeping control of the vehicle.

Remember please, when you pull off to keep your revs low; don’t accelerate too hard in lower gears. By keeping your revs down you will be saving money by saving fuel consumption.

And as you start dropping speed for the red traffic lights, or a stop sign ahead of you, please, try to come down in your gears as your speed drops so that you are in the correct gear at the correct speed to pull away from a danger just in case of an emergency.

Please make sure that you in the correct gear at the correct road speed before you negotiate sharp corners. It makes for better control and safer driving.