Slowing down slowly:
(a) crumple zones in the car body
(b)
seat belts
(c) air bags
Less damage
(a) laminated windscreens
(b)
no hard projections in the car
(c) collapsing steering wheels
You can see
the effect of crumple zones in the photograph of the car crash. Although the bonnets of
the two cars are badly damaged, in fact both car were a write off, the passenger
compartments are unaffected and all the passengers got out safely and without
injury.
Being able to stop at all and in a controlled way needs:
(a) good
brakes
(b) good tyres
Weather conditions are also
important. It will obviously take longer to stop if there is less friction between the tyres
and the road in wet or icy conditions and if it is foggy the driver will not be able to see a
problem ahead until it may be too late to stop. Therefore in poor conditions people
should always drive more slowly.
Of course all this is
no good unless the car is driven safely, within the speed limit for the road and by a driver
who is alert for any possible happenings around them.
The alertness of the
driver will be seriously affected by the use of drugs and alcohol. The reaction time of
someone who is drunk or under the effects of drugs is much longer and the driver cannot
drive safely! Also tired drivers are not safe drivers, so people who drive long distances
should have regular rests and even those on short journeys who are tired should take
extra care.
Attempting to do something else while you are driving means that
you are not fully aware of what is happening around you on the road. Therefore drivers
in cars should not use mobile phones; drivers should not read, eat or drink or get so
involved in conversations that they lose concentration.
It only needs a split
second of misjudgment to cause a serious accident.