Road safety & save use of fuel

Stephen Chinkhanson Guite *

Students participating in Walkathon in Imphal for National Road Safety Week on Jan 17 2015 :: Pix - Shankar Kh

Road safety week is celebrated with the great joy and enthusiasm every year in India at many places such as Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and etc. People are encouraged about how to drive on road by organizing variety of programmes related to the road safety.

Safety begins at home. Right from the birth, human beings develop a sense of safety to protect themselves from the environment. Safety is not only necessary for the individual but also for the society on the whole.

Today's modern world is flooded with plenty of modern vehicles either cycles, scooters, auto rickshaws, cars, busses, lorries, tractors, etc. City has become narrow and congested. Parking lots has become scarce. In such a situation the question of safety becomes paramount. Lot of modern gadgets has been invented to provide safety to the public. Public awareness has increased.

More and more measures are taken for their safety. Safety rules are framed to provide reasonable safety to the road users. Road discipline is more important. The laws should be more stringent and the enforcing authorities should be vested with adequate powers for enforcing the rules.

The pedestrians should follow the safety rules by walking in the payments, follow traffic signals, crossing road only at zebra crossings to avoid accidents. Motorists should first qualify themselves by learning driving and obtaining the proper licences. Rash, negligent, drunken driving should be avoided.

Friends, life is meant for living. As long as we live, let us live a disciplined, duty minded and dignified life. Follow the rules. After all the rules are for our safety.

Some Facts: More than 1.2 million people die in road traffic crashes every year. As many as 50 million people are injured or disabled by road traffic crashes every year. Half of all crash victims are vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists

Road Safety Rules

Fatalities and accidents on the road occur because someone somewhere is not paying attention to road safety rules. There are a number of factors that come into interplay while travelling on the road. There are road safety rules for drivers to follow as well as the pedestrians and other vehicles. In this article we will focus on the main road safety rules that everybody on the road needs to keep in mind.

Road safety rules

1. Keep to the left. Keep to the left while driving and allow vehicles from the opposite direction to pass. Most head-on accidents happen as we fail to keep to the left and stay in the middle of the road. This is one of the most important road safety rules for drivers.

2. Another mistake most people make is to never slow down on turns and bends. Be all the more cautious when negotiating bends and sharp turns.

3. Move cautiously and slowly during congestion on roads. We should move carefully especially at the round-abouts and road junctions.

4. Wear helmets. Those on bicycles and two wheelers should never go on the road without a helmet. Make sure the helmet is of superior quality (ISI marked) and strapped properly.

5. Remain within the speed limit. This is common sense and a common one among road safety rules for drivers. Keep in mind that the speed limit is related to the traffic condition of the area. If you come within schools and hospitals, just slowdown.

6. Maintain the right distance. Often it is seen that collisions occur because adequate distance from the vehicle in front is not maintained. These are important road safety rules for drivers.

7. Understand and follow the road signs. These road safety rules are a must for all to follow, whether walking on the road or in their vehicles. It can be dangerous for your as well as other people n the road if you have poor understanding of the road signs.

Keep the above road safety rules in mind while travelling and make the roads safe for yourself and everyone.

Road Safety for Cars

To begin with road safety for cars, it is important to start with the condition of your vehicle or car. Make sure your car is registered, has complete papers and is well maintained before getting it out on the road. It is not safe for you and others if the condition of the car is not good. /moreover, a car that is not serviced at the right time will only eat up more of your fuel and cause more pollution on the roads. Hence the road safety for cars begins first at home.

Guidelines for road safety for cars

* Make sure you know how to drive well & are confident on the roads
* Learn driving from a good reputed school
* Have a clear view when driving
* Check your mirrors before changing lanes
* Try to keep away from the blind spots
* Always wear seat belts
* Keep at a safe distance from other vehicles on the road
* Follow the road signs, traffic lights and speed limits all the time.
* Maintain a safe distance from the bigger vehicles on the road like Trucks and keep out of their blind spots.
* Never ever drive when drunk or you are inviting trouble
* Avoid very long drives that can leave you tired and stressed out
* Get proper rest before driving
* Never eat, drink, or talk on a cell phone while driving
* Don't panic if involved in an accident. Call for police and help
* Be even more alert in bad weather like snow or rain.
* Be polite and courteous on the roads.

One can just go on and on the topic of road safety for cars. But just keep the above basic guidelines in your mind and you will be safe enough. Follow the tips on the road safety for cars and you will be just fine. Even though different nations are boasting of a better infrastructure and road safety systems, there is no decrease in the number of accidents on the roads.

If we really wish to have an accident free roads and traffic, we really need to focus on the road safety tips and rules and follow them in reality, rather than just talk about them in books. These tips need to be followed on the roads in actual conditions. It's only then we can be confident of making some real improvement in the road safety for all.

Some important driving tips that might benefit our readers.

Driving Tips � To make every drop last longer

1. Drive between 45-55 kmph
The faster you go, the more wind resistance your vehicle will face. Tests on Indian cars proved that you can get better mileage at 45-55 kmph against 80 kmph.

2. Keep your engine healthy
Tests proved that one can save as much as 6% by tuning the car regularly.

3. Drive in the correct gear, always
Incorrect gear shifting can lead to as much as 20% increase in fuel consumption.

4. Maximum use of 5th gear
Use of top gear reduces fuel consumption considerably.

5. Clean air filter regularly
Air filter prevents dust from fouling the engine. Dust causes rapid wear of engine components and increases fuel consumption.

6. Good braking habits
When you slam on the brakes, a lot of useful energy is wasted in the form of heat. A good driver always anticipates stops.

7. Keep your foot off the clutch
Use clutch only when you change gears. Riding the clutch causes loss of energy and damage clutch-linings.

8. Don't wait for your car engine to warm up
Drive in low gear till the engine warms up.

9. Watch your tyre pressure
Under inflated tyres increase rolling resistance, which leads to higher petrol/diesel consumption.

10. When you stop the car, stop the engine
11. Use recommended grade of engine oil
Engine oil thicker that the recommended oil can cause 2% increase in fuel consumption.

12. Reduce loads
Unnecessary loads increase fuel consumption

13. Use air-conditioner only when essential
20% more fuel is consumed when the AC is on.

By doing this more kilometres per litre can be covered. In short, saving fuel is saving money.