Introduction
Accidents happening on our roads have been a major cause of deaths and injuries in the country. Many unnecessary costs of medication; loss of livelihood and of lives are incurred. This paper seeks to identify some of these habits and some of the steps that can be taken to mitigate the situation.
Bad Driving Habits
Many habits that are considered non-conducive for the smooth and safe flow of traffic have been identified.
Driving under the influence of alcohol: Alcohol has been, on numerous occasions shown to dull the mental faculties of the human being. In fact, driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal in all the countries that I know. Drunk drivers do not have the capacity to react quickly enough to sudden occurrences on the road; this has been blamed for the many deaths and injuries on our roads.
Tailgating: This is the deliberate action when a driver follows too closely the car ahead in an attempt to show the intention to overtake or just to be a menace. This practice is very risky as a sudden deceleration can cause a rear-end collision. The situation can also intimidate the driver ahead into breaking the speed limits thus compounding the danger.
Poor lane discipline: The demarcations that are painted on the road are aimed at guiding the drivers on the limits of their lanes. However, especially at the round-about, some drivers cross from one lane to the other without minding the welfare of other road users on the lane. This is bound to cause accidents.
Dimming the headlights: When driving at night on a single carriage road, it is important to dim the main beam of the headlights to avoid blinding the driver of the oncoming vehicle with the headlights. However, some drivers refuse to dim their lights or dim them at the last possible moment. This habit can cause serious accidents as the offended driver cannot effectively navigate the vehicle due to the glare.
Poor use of indicator light: These lights were designed as a tool of communication between the drivers as they transverse the road. It thus makes no sense when a driver fails his or her intention on the road, and leaves the rest of the population on the same road to read his mind.
Speeding: When speed limits are placed on certain roads, an evaluation of the safety level of the road is first done for the correct limit to be placed. However, some drivers go ahead and exceed these limits thereby endangering not only themselves, but also other road users.
Solutions to the Bad Habits
The Law: A strict enforcement of the rules of the road is a good solution for drivers who deliberately endanger others on the road. The punishment of the offenders should be severe enough to deter anyone else from breaking those rules.
Retraining: Minor offenders, however should be required to retake a driving course before having their license reissued. Repeat offenders should be at risk of permanently losing their licenses.
Change of attitude: This is, in my view, the greatest impediment to achieving universal road safety. All the drivers have to learn to respect each other and the rule of law. They have to accept that everyone has the right to the road; and that because you are in a hurry, it doesn’t give you the authority to endanger others.
Conclusion
If people learned to respect each other more; and accepted that the rules of the road are for the safety and benefit of everyone, then, we would have fewer accidents on the road caused by reckless driving habits.