Falling Back to Shorter Days Means Taking Extra Care on the Road
It’s cold and dark, and everyone just wants to get “there” as quickly as possible. The above statement sums up a typical winter afternoon/evening quite well. It also hints at some of the problems ahead, for drivers, riders, and walkers alike. Now with the end of Daylight Savings time, we’re all finding ourselves spending a little bit more time in the dark. And with nighttime driving, your depth perception and vision are compromised by the glare of headlights and your dark surroundings. Did you know that your visibility is limited to about 250 feet with your normal headlights on? With that limited field of vision, this time of year creates less time for you to react to something on the road, especially when you’re travelling at high speeds.
Cold and wet weather can very easily produce condensation in vehicles and a rider’s helmet visor. It creates the perfect conditions for pedestrians to start hurrying, with their hoods up, and eyes down; hardly conditions to encourage good levels of awareness! if it is very cold, there may also be ice forming, or still lying around from early morning. When people are in a hurry, they are normally prepared to take risks. Maybe they think they can hurry across the road in a gap that they would not normally even consider as being suitable. Maybe, if they are looking at the oncoming headlights, they do not notice the cyclist coming on his bike, wishing that he had bought new batteries for his lights. Maybe they didn’t see the cyclist because they could not see sideways through the hood they were wearing. Maybe the driver cannot easily see the pedestrian, dressed in a long dark coat, with the hood up and brolly down, because their windscreen is still a bit steamed up, and there are hundreds of raindrops on the windscreen, obscuring the driver’s view.
To sum up… In bad conditions, road users need to be able to see the hazards and be seen They need to be able to react promptly. They need to be able to stop promptly, and in control.
The answers…?
– Don’t rush
– Clear the windows and mirrors properly, and keep them clear
– See and be seen.
– Be considerate to other road users
– Is it safe? Are you sure?
– Maintain your vehicle properly, maybe timing the annual service to be ready for winter
– If in doubt slow down.
– If you are still in doubt, maybe you should stop.
We all have a responsibility to look out for our safety and the safety of other road users and we all need to work together to keep the roads as safe as possible and avoid road traffic accidents as far as possible. Always stay prepared for the unexpected with Drive Zim. Can you imagine being stranded on the road during your journey? A dead battery, electrical faults, bowl joints, or a flat tyre can be a nightmare when you least expect it. So, do you know what can help you in situations like these? Without a second thought, Roadside assistance. It gives you the much-needed peace of mind that you’ll safely make it to the destination. Some motor insurance companies and third-party services in the country provide roadside help, but the tricky part is determining which service best meets your needs. Drive Zimbabwe Roadside Assistance provided roadside assistance to thousands of Zimbabwean motorists since 2019. and encourages Care, Courtesy, and Concentration to keep everyone safe on the roads… something we still strive for today. Call us or WhatsApp our hotline numbers at 0780 579 261/0718 084 297 / 0736 5234 24. http://www.facebook.com/105600827733427 https://mobile.twitter.com/DriveZimbabwe https://g.page/r/CcOmSUheyx34EAE/review https://www.linkedin.com/in/drive-zim-drive-zimbabwe-roadside-assistance-0aa0a3251