Month: August 2019

POSITIVE HABITS FOR A DRIVER

For a driver to be regarded as being good, it does not only boil down to his driving skills, it also involves the level of safety in his driving. It is easy to inculcate bad habits while driving, and a good number of them are detrimental.

Below are positive habits which are expected of a driver:

• Keep away from your phone: One habit which drivers are fond of, is using their phones while driving. Some are in the habit of making calls, chatting with their phone during the course of driving. Hence, it would be difficult to perform a swift action if need be.

• Maintain the speed limit: One of the major causes of accidents, is drivers who fail to maintain the moderate speed limit. Over-speeding kills people year in, year out. In some countries, drivers are fined for exceeding the expected speed limit.

• Avoid alcohol before driving: There are many dangers when it comes to drinking and driving. It prevents the driver from thinking straight and making prompt decisions.

For instance, if a child happens to cross the road right in front of a drunk driver, it would be difficult for the driver to quickly apply the brakes. Hence, a life could be lost in the process. Alcohol prevents you from being alert and aware, no matter how minute the quantity of alcohol taken, there is still an effect which it has on the brain and mind.

• Using Seatbelt: For some people, using the seatbelt seems like a burden and waste of time. It is essential for both the driver and passenger to have their seatbelts on, as it is one of the easiest ways to save their lives. As a good driver, you need to make sure your seatbelts are on, and you must enforce the same rule on anyone who journeys with you.

• Avoid playing loud music: Loud music is another form of distraction when driving, it also prevents you from being aware, alert and informed. It makes it difficult for you to respond to sudden occurrences which could have simply been avoided.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO DRIVE WITH A GOOD MENTAL HEALTH

Driving is not a regular activity which can be performed by paying little attention, it is a very skilled and complex activity which needs the application of high cortical functions. An individual who is driving a vehicle needs to be able to clearly judge and give quick reactions when it is needed. The inability to do this could cause risks to the person driving, or users of the road.

Mental disorders have the capacity to inhibit good judgement, concentration and also reaction times. Studies have shown that, in road accidents, the percentage of those caused by people with mental illness, is higher than those caused by people who do not have mental illness.

For instance, someone who undergoes bouts of depression from time to time, should be declared unfit for driving, as there is a huge tendency that the person would not be able to make the right decisions. The hands of the person might just be on the wheels, and his eyes faced forward, but his mind might not be there.

Hence, if there is a sudden need to apply the brakes, it would be difficult to do this, as his mind has been carried away. Children and young teenagers are at a high risk on a road containing drivers who are not in their right state of mind. These set of people find it difficult to concentrate properly on the road, and they cannot entirely be blamed for this.

It is essential in a developed country, that before drivers are given their license, there has to be a proof certifying a clean bill of mental health. Until this has been verified, it is advisable not to handover a license to any regular person. Putting this measure in check would ensure that, the number of accidents caused due to mental health illness, would be on the decline.

In addition to this, it would be highly beneficial if there is a check on these drivers from time to time. Mental health illness can develop at any time, and once it has been detected quite early, it makes it easy to manage.