Precautions to avoid a traffic accident

Many factors may be part of the causes of a traffic accident. Preventive and safe driving requires, first of all, correct driver behavior: it is necessary to anticipate your risks and those of other road users. But all drivers understand the responsibility that falls on them when they get into their vehicle. Accidents and road accidents occur dozens a day in Ireland and very often the perpetrators flee the scene. Therefore, ensuring safe driving requires daily efforts.

Follow the traffic rules.

First of all, of course, you must follow the Rules of the Road to ensure your safety and the safety of other Irish users. Even if the rules of the road do not provide absolute protection for road users, non-compliance with them significantly increases the risk of road traffic accident. Many drivers consider compliance with the rules to be a limitation, but this greatly limits the risk of an accident.

Be polite

Our roads are crowded with different road users (pedestrians, scooters, cyclists, trucks, etc.), and each road user has different restrictions, which makes it difficult to share the road. That’s why politeness while driving is an important point that all users should respect.

Here are the 5 most frequent fines in Ireland:

• Speeding;
• Parking when it is not according to the rules;
• Not giving priority;
• Using your phone while driving;
• Violation of the use of user equipment (not wearing a seat belt, etc.);

Do not use mobile phones while driving

70% of Dublin drivers admitted to using a smartphone while driving! To avoid a traffic accident, it is necessary to eliminate all distractions, as cell phones while driving become a danger on our roads.

Until a person is involved in a traffic accident while using a phone, he does not imagine that this action can harm him. It is impossible to believe in the possibility of an accident and it causes a persistent belief that is difficult to change.

More than 50% of the information is lost when using a mobile phone while driving, for example, missing a highway exit and realizing it after many kilometers. This phenomenon is part of the mental workload. The brain can’t do multiple things at the same time. For example, when a driver needs to perform a technical maneuver on his vehicle, he asks the interlocutor to pause the conversation until his action occurs, or the driver turns down the volume of the radio to create a pause.

Bluetooth

Contrary to popular belief, the Bluetooth system in the car is unsafe. A driver talking on the phone using a hands-free kit will see that his cognitive functions suffer from confidence in safety, he will not slow down, will not limit the duration of the conversation, and, therefore, will become less vigilant. Driving is not based solely on good vehicle management, first of all, requires absolute attention and a good analysis of the environment and risks.

Reading or writing a text message, posting on social media, or even just browsing email have become trivial gestures in everyone’s daily life. However, they can be quite impressive if practiced while driving. These actions require taking your eyes off the road for at least 5 seconds, i.e. the distance traveled of 70 meters in the city (at a speed of 50 km / h), and increasing the risk of an accident at times.

Risk perception

Unlike driving in extreme situations, it is sometimes impossible to anticipate an accident on a bright sunny road. However, it is in this situation that the driver tends to accelerate and exposes himself to a greater risk of getting into a fatal accident. When risk perception is poorly assessed, the driver will tend to move faster.

Stress

Stress can also be a source of accidents. Driving in a nervous state increases the risk of an accident. Emotions (joy, sadness, anger, etc.) affect the cognitive process and behavior of the driver. Reasoning, risk perception, and vigilance may be affected.

Maintaining a safe distance

This is still one of the most important elements of safe behavior, allowing you to protect yourself from traffic accidents. Maintaining a safe distance is a balance of traffic. This is the best way to avoid a collision or even a crowd of people.

Circular motion

Many accidents occur at roundabouts. It is important to position yourself correctly in the appropriate lane according to your direction to share the road with other road users. Make sure that no car coming from your left has entered the right lane if you want to turn onto the 1st or 2nd exit (right or straight). Conversely, if you want to turn left or turn around, switch to the left lane. And above all, don’t forget that your indicator points in any direction.

Follow the rules and remember that they are even more important because not only your life directly depends on them, so be cautious and careful!